An Imperfect Love Story
by x.uprising
Summary: Kakashi x OC. Not good at summaries, but: Kakashi is found in the woods by a woman who's been dying to see him again, after so many years. Now that they've met, will he be able to tell her his true feelings he never once could?
1. Character Intro & Chapter 1: The Reunion

An Imperfect Love Story

Kakashi x OC

A/N: This story is written in first person, and takes place...well. No random theme is set, just go along with it. :) It takes place during part one of the manga and anime. This is my first story ever written. I had written the story down in notebooks, (which I am still doing) and then I type it on here. It takes a while, but oh well. My love of writing gets the best of me. Well, enjoy! By the way, this is multi-chaptered.

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Or the characters. Or any other thing that may be in Naruto. If I did, Kakashi would be mine. :)**

Key:

'...' denotes thoughts

"..." denotes speaking

**in bold print **denotes a flashback or a scenery change.

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-Character Introduction-

First of all, let me introduce myself. My name is Akara, but people who know me call me Kara for short. I'm originally from the Village Hidden in the Clouds, or Kumogakure of the Lightning Nation. I moved here after my parents passed, but after a while I had to leave because of an emergency. After everything was cleared up, I moved back here to settle down. I've been here for a while, and I'm a jonin, so I know my way around things. I was born into a clan that practices special ninjutsu. This ninjutsu has four stages, causing black marks to appear on the user's body and giving them incredible amounts of speed, agility, strength, and unreleased amounts of chakra. These four stages are: Awakening One, Awakening Two, Awakening Three, and Awakening Three: Complete. So far, I have been the only one in my entire clan to awaken the third stage..and live. I was in the Medical Corps back in Kumogakure for a while, and I specialized in healing jutsu. I've created some of my own, to say the least, and helped many of the Hidden Leaf ninja during the Great War.

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Part One: The Reunion

I was walking through the forst of Konoha, hearing the occasional birds chirping and twigs snapping, looking for a place to sit down and rest. I saw a clearing up ahead and decided that it was my resting place. I had just came back from a mission earlier this morning, and I took a walk to relieve stress and calm down. Not that the mission didn't go well, because it did, I was just tired. I had knew about the mission the day before, considering it was an S-Ranked and the Hokage informed me about it. The mission was pretty tough, considering I barely made it out of there alive.

Anyway, I was almost to the clearing ahead when I was shocked by what I saw. I knew I wasn't in the forest alone, because everyone takes walks in the forest, right? But I wasn't prepared for the man I saw before my very eyes. The man before me was the reason I was still living. The man before me was the reason I actually came into the forest in the first place. The man before me was the renowned 'copycat-ninja', Kakashi Hatake. So I just sat there, staring at him. I moved back and stepped on a twig or something. 'Great, Now I've done it.' I thought, cursing my lack of gracefulness. I went behind a tree to hide, in which the tree didn't actually do the perfect job. I saw him look around in my direction, but I knew he couldn't see me. At least I hope he couldn't. I hoped to Kami that he couldn't. I sat there, wondering if I should go show myself or stay low.

I'd been trying to find the man ever since I'd moved, going to place to place, searching everywhere. 'He hasn't changed much.' I thought, making a once-over of his physical appearance. I laughed quietly, knowing he hasn't stopped his love for the Make-Out Paradise series. He was reading it alone, glancing around every while or so, probably to see if anyone was around. I still wondered if he knew I was there. I looked around to see if I could move to a better spot, but once I looked back, he was gone. 'What?! Oh, great. Nice one, Kara. You had your chance and you blew it.' I rolled my eyes at my inner thoughts. I felt someone tap my shoulder. 'This better not be who I think it is..' I turned around and almost fell over.

"Hello, Akara." Kakashi said, not putting his book away. I fell and rolled down the hill I was on and hit my head against the tree. I rubbed my head as he walked over to me. He held out his hand and helped me up.

"What brings you here?" he asked, finally putting his book back in his weapon pocket. I had to think of an excuse, and quick. You don't just go around telling people that you've been trying to find them for the past twenty-some years.

"I..uh...well...I was..watching grass grow. Pretty interesting, huh?" I said, knowing my lame excuse wasn't any help. He laughed softly. And I just stood there, looking like a complete idiot in front of the man I've been trying to find and fell in love with. He whispered something to himself that I couldn't make out, wondering if I should have understood it or not. Silence. Complete and total silence. He finally spoke.

"Nice to see you again." he said, darting his visible eye around the woods, as if looking for a conversation topic.

"Nice to..see you too.." I trailed off, bouncing back and forth on my heels. And there went the silence again. I glanced up at him. Telling by the movements of his hands and the way he was looking around, I could tell he was either nervous or probably thinking.

"I uh..have to..tell you..something." he finally said. And I just stood there again, thinking that he was with someone else and that he probably had a reason why I was in here. Alone. Following him. 'This isn't going well...I'd better go..' I thought. I hesitated to speak.

"What is it?"

He hesitated for a moment, probably thinking of what should come next.

"I..." he started, nervous. I couldn't take it anymore. The tension was killing me inside. I had to say something before I blew up and started to run away. I put my head and my hands and said something I've always wanted to.

"Kakashi, I love you." I said, muffling my sound, not looking up. The silence deadpanned around us. I was waiting for an answer, probably being something like, "I'm sorry, but I don't feel the same way." or no answer, just running away. I felt a strong hand on my shoulder as I slouched down. 'Oh, Kami. What have I done..' I thought, on the verge of tears.

"I love you too." he finally said. I hit the breaking point. I was slightly crying, hoping that I wouldn't give it away to him.

As if I hadn't heard it the first time, believe me I did, I asked, "What?"

"I love you too." he repeated, looking me in the eye this time. He helped me back up and stared into my eyes. I pulled down his mask and did something I've always wanted to. I kissed him gently, and he got closer to deepen it. By the passion of it, I knew this wasn't some one-time thing with him. He broke free and finally spoke.

"I want you...to be with me." he said, forehead pressed against mine and intertwining my fingers in his hands. "I care about you. I don't want to see you leave again. This time, I want us to be together...forever." he said once more, bringing me closer. I nodded quickly, hugging up to his chest, burying my head in his jonin vest. He hugged me tighter as we just stood there, quietly longing for each other since we hadn't saw one another in so long. "Wanna go somewhere?" he whispered quietly, almost inaudible. I nodded.

**--That Night--**

Kakashi and I walked home after returning from the festival in Tanzaku Town. We stopped at my house, despite my desire to go home with him and just hug him all night, we stopped. "Well, here we are." he said, smiling underneath his mask.

"Yep." I said, rocking back and forth on the heels of my shoes. He took my forearm and pulled me close. I smiled as he kissed me goodnight.

"Goodnight, sleep tight." he said, grinning.

"Goodnight. You too." I said, waving as I watched him out of sight. I walked into my empty apartment, looking around and turning on the light. I smiled at my thoughts. 'It's always the quiet ones who are good at this stuff.' I thought, laughing out loud.


	2. Chapter 2: Popping the Question

A/N: Okay, so I know the first chapter wasn't...perfect, per se. But the first chapters are always the awkward ones, right? Anyway, please review!

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Or any of the song lyrics I plan to put here and there in the chapters. I do, however, own merchandise. And that, my dear beloved friends, is something you can't take away. :) Enjoy!**

Part Two: Popping The Question

It was almost six-thirty in the morning, the sun still not seen from the sky when I heard someone knocking on my front door. Me, in a tanktop and sleeping shorts, got up and scratched my head dazily, wondering who in the world could be at my apartment at six-thirty in the morning. I opened the door and saw Kakashi. I blushed furiously, and looked around nervously, not wanting him to see me in my sleeping attire.

"Did I wake you?" he asked sheepishly. I laughed quietly.

"Yeah, but it's fine. I always get up at six-thirty when someone knocks on my door." I said, half out of it. He laughed, noticing my sarcasm.

"Well, I was out and I figured you'd be up. I wanted to come by and ask you something." he said, leaning up against the doorframe.

I yawned. "What is it?"

"Would you like to come over for dinner tonight?" he asked, smiling underneath the mask. I smiled wide. The only dinner I went to with someone else was...well..I never went to dinner with someone else.

"Sure. I'd love to." I said, smiling.

"Alright. I'll swing by and get you later, sound good?"

"Yeah." I said, still not being able to stop smiling. He walked in and gave me a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"By the way," he started, looking down, "nice shorts." he said, grinning.

I blushed again. "Thanks..?" I said, laughing while closing the door. I waited until he had gotten out of range before I started jumping up and down and laughing. Not being able to go back to sleep, I started fixing breakfast and went out to go get some groceries. (This took place over a number of hours, resulting that the day was set at around 5 or 6. Sorry if this confused anyone!) I spotted Kakashi at the bookstore, but I didn't go over to him, not wanting to ruin the moment. I scurried back to the apartment to freshen up before he came over, wondering what Kakashi was doing up so early at six-thirty in the morning. I shrugged it off, attempting to find a better shirt than the one I had on. I rummaged through my closet and finally found a decent outfit. It wasn't long before he knocked again as I was putting on some perfume. Smiling, I made my way to the door. I took a deep breath before answering because I was so nervous. I opened it up and saw Kakashi, who was in a different outfit, rather than the jonin outfit he was required to wear.

"Well, you look rather dashing this evening." he said, handing me a rose. I blushed at his comment.

"Why thank you," I said, taking the rose and laying it aside, "you look rather handsome yourself." He smiled, still having his mask on, but his headband not. I secretly wondered what it would be like to look into the Sharingan for a long period of time and see if anything would happen. Oh well, curiosity killed the cat, right? Eh.

"Ready?" he asked, holding his arm out. I took out my keys and locked up the apartment, the click of the doorknob telling me the door was locked.

"Yep." I said, walking arm in arm with him down the busy streets of Konoha, which I found very romantic. Because I'm just a romantic sap.

A few minutes later, we arrived at his apartment. It was quiet, since he didn't live on a busy street like I did. I took my shoes off and went inside. It was very clean, more cleaner than my apartment could ever be. I saw a dog running around inside (A/N: I had to put this in here. Pakkun is just irresistable. :D).

"You have a dog?" I asked awkwardly. He laughed.

"Oh, well, this here is Pakkun. One of the dogs I summon." he said.

"Hello." Pakkun said.

I was taken aback. "He can talk?!" I said a little too quickly.

"Yeah." he said, acting like it was nothing. Kakashi stared at Pakkun for a minute, until he finally caught the drift. "Yeah, yeah, I get you. Don't break something." Pakkun said, waving before disappearing into a puff of smoke.

'Don't...break something?! What the..?' I had about fifty million thoughts run into my head at once. Kakashi chuckled nervously.

"Heh heh..dogs..say the darnedest things...heh.." he said, scratching the back of his neck. I cocked an eyebrow at him. "Heh..why don't we go..sit down, eh?" he said, obviously nervous, heading toward the chair in the living room. "You sit down while I go fix dinner, alright?" he said, sitting me down. I attempted to protest, but his response was to be quiet or I don't get to eat.

He came over to me while everything was cooking and sat down on the armrest, placing a hand on my shoulder. The left one to be exact. I held back a shiver, wondering how in the world he found my weakest spot. I shrugged it off and remembered the first time I'd ever laid eyes on him.

**--Flashback; The Hidden Leaf Village Academy--**

**"KARA! Pass me the ball, will you? It's in the tree!" One of my friends yelled towards me. I started to climb the tree to go get the ball. The bell rang. In a hurry to get the ball and get to class, I lost my footing and fell out of the tree hard, losing consciousness. **

**An hour and a half later, I finally woke up, still at the academy. I rose up to find someone beside me.**

**"Who..who're you?" I asked, slurring my words because of the fall.**

**He smiled gently. "Kakashi. I've been with you ever since you fell, since no one would help. We tried to get sensei to come over, but he wouldn't, saying that there wasn't anyone out here since you were hid behind the tree. Are you okay?" he asked.**

**I blinked, still taking it all in. "Huh? Oh, yeah..I'm..fine." I finally said.**

**"Do you need help getting home? Your parents are probably worried about you." he asked, helping me up.**

**"Oh..no thank you. I'll probably be fine once I move around a bit. Thanks a lot by the way. You know, for staying with me. I owe you a favor." I said, getting up and leaving.**

**"Wait!" he called after, running toward me. I turned around. "What's your name?" he asked, obviously shy. I smiled at him.**

**"Akara Takeuchi. Thanks again." I said, waving and leaving.**

"Are you okay?" he asked concernly.

I smiled, remembering the flashback. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just...reminiscing, that's all."

He looked at me for a moment, then said: "Oh, looks like dinner is ready."

I got up and walked over to the table with him. He sat the table and started eating, as well as I.

"This is really good." I said inbetween bites.

"Thank you.." he said, looking away at something. I could tell he was thinking about something.

"When you live alone, you get to experiment with things and put them together. One of my newest recipes, just for you." he said, smiling. He looked away and sighed.

"Is something wrong?" I asked, setting aside my plate.

"No, it's just..it's..hard..living alone. Nevertheless living away...from you." he said, not taking his eyes off the plate in front of him. Right then and there, I knew I was probably the only person he dropped his guard with.

He sighed for a moment and got hope back into his eyes. I smiled, wondering what he was going to do next.

"Hey, I know this is on short notice, but.." he trailed off, probably not wanting to know my reaction.

"Look. If you're afraid to ask me something, don't be. You can ask me anything, anytime. Doesn't matter what it is." I said, hoping to reassure him. He paused for a moment.

"Will you move in with me?" he asked, hopeful. My eyes widened. 'He wants me to move in with him?! Oh my gosh!' I thought, a very happy camper but I didn't show it. He gave another sigh. "I knew this was too forward.." I heard him whisper. I put a hand on his shoulder.

"Yes. I'd be happy to." I said, smiling.

"Really?!" he asked, as if he didn't hear it the first time.

"Yes..I.." I looked down and blushed, "I don't want to be alone anymore...I want to be with you..I'd do anything to make you happy, don't forget that." I said, getting up and placing the dishes in the sink. "I'll clean up, go sit down."I said, motioning him over to the couch. He didn't mind, and he went outside while I did the dishes. I was getting ready to pack up when I felt him grab my hand.

"Close your eyes and come with me." he said, smiling.

"I won't see where I'm going..." I whined.

"Only if you trust me." he said simply, and led me outside. I had attempted to sit down but lost my traction so I not-so-gracefully (but gently) fell on him, head landing on his chest. I felt heat rise up to my cheeks, blushing. I heard him laugh softly. "You can open your eyes now." he said, taking my hand. I looked up and saw the most beautiful thing: the night sky. I was always a big fan of nature; for every night I'd come out to ease my mind and take watch of the sky, seeing the sun rise and set every dawn and dusk. Except for the fact that I did it alone. Now, I wasn't alone. "I figured you'd want to see it too, that's why I brought you out here." he said, smiling.

"It's beautiful." I stated, still looking up. He looked down at me.

"Yeah...it is beautiful." he said, bringing me closer. I blushed furiously but I laid my head back and relaxed as we watched the night sky and fell asleep in each others arms.

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**A/N: So, did you like it? I did. Well, obviously, considering I wrote it but anyway. Please feel free to tell me what you liked...and hated, if you want to push my buttons..but. Thanks anyway!**


	3. Chapter 3: Meeting Team Seven

**A/N: Okay, so I need ideas. Not that I don't have any. The first nine parts are recorded in my first notebook, and the first notebook really didn't go too well. (I've wrote up to chapter 25, if you guys wanted to know.) So the first few chapters are coming off the top of my head, so bear with me. Also, those who have read. This story was meant to be OOC (or out of character.), seeing that it is a love story with Kakashi. (Kind of contradicts itself, doesn't it..) Since I know some people that read this, I'll portray Kakashi as the best I can. But keep in mind, it is supposed to be out of character. Anyway, if you liked it so far, review! If you hated it, I really don't want you to, but review! If you think I need better ideas, review! If you're reading this and you have no idea why and you hate it...don't review. I can't put up with stupidity. :) But I'm going to put up what I'm listening to. Just because I can. And it gives me ideas. Heh. Anyway, onto the story!**

**p.s.--this chapter contains a random series of events..considering it's one in the morning and I'm not really concentrating, bear with me.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto...or Kakashi. Or Bon Jovi. Oh, how I wish..-laughs evily-**

**Listening To: Lay Your Hands On Me by Bon Jovi.**

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Chapter Three: Meeting Team Seven; A Nice Welcome?

I woke up, needless to say, in a very awkward situation. Kakashi talked me into staying the night so we could figure out plans so I could move in. I said yes, and here I am, waking up to Kakashi staring at me, straight in the eye. What a wonderful waking up suprise. I jumped back and he laughed at me. 'Well, good morning to you too..' I thought, rolling my eyes slightly at my conscience.

"Haha, did I scare you?" he asked, pulling me into a hug.

I had a straight face. "NO! Of course not.." I said sarcastically.

He laughed again. "I'm sorry, you were sleeping so sound, I had to do it."

"Ehhhh.." I murmered, rolling over in an attempt to go back to sleep. I looked toward Kakashi. "Sorry, I'm not much of a morning person." I said, giving a slight smile. He chuckled.

" Heh, me neitherm but oh well. I have to meet up with the squad at seven-thirty, so I'm going to go. I have breakfast on the table for you. Swing by if you get the chance to." he said, getting up. I sighed, knowing I would now be alone in the house. Glancing at the clock that read nine-thirty, I laughed.

"It's nine-thirty, Kakashi. You're two hours late." I said, laughing harder, realizing why he was late all the time, besides paying respects to Obito. He shrugged at my comment.

"Eh, they've waited before, they can wait again. One more day won't hurt them." he said, helping me up as I started off to the bathroom and yawned. "Remember to drop by!" he said once more, kissing my forhead before leaving. I hugged back.

"Bye!" I said, waving.

**--The Bridge; almost ten o'clock..--**

"AHAHAH! SAKURA I TOLD YOU!! I TOLD YOU HE'D BE LATE!" Naruto said upon the arrival of his sensei, who was two and a half hours late. Kakashi gave a sigh and a slight shrug while his student jumped up and down talking about how 'awesome' he was for guessing that his sensei would be late. Again.

"Naruto, even I could have told you that. He's always late." Sakura said in an attempt to calm the blonde down.

"Sorry I'm late, I was with someone." Kakashi stated simply and put his book away. Fed up with Kakashi's lame excuses, Sakura raised a hand in protest. "Kakashi-sensei, we've heard it bef--wait, what?" she said in disbelief. Kakashi rolled his visible eye, knowing that she did know how he hated to repeat himself.

"You heard me, Sakura. I said I was with someone." he said again, leaning against one of the railson the bridge they were standing on. "Any more questions..?" he asked.

"Kakashi-sensei was with someone! Who, who, who?!" Naruto asked, getting in front of Sakura.

"She's a...erm...friend." he said, looking around.

"SHE?! KAKASHI-SENSEI WAS WITH A WOMAN!? WHO?!" Naruto asked, yet again. And it was then Kakashi wondered why he had to be so nosy. Sasuke was right, he just really was one big problem.

"Naruto, you IDIOT! You don't ask someone about their personal life!" Sakura shouted, ramming her fist into Naruto's head.

"Sometimes you really are just one big loser." Sasuke retorted, leaning back and putting his hands behind his head to relax.

"Erm..guys? Mind if we train now? You can beat each other up some other time when I'm not around." Kakashi said, pulling Sakura and Naruto apart.

"Whoa. So this is the infamous squad seven, eh? And yet it's one big conflict." I said, walking across the bridge to where everyone stood. Everyone spun around as I waved. Kakashi waved back and whispered,

"Thanks for coming."

"No problem. I wanted to come anyway." I said, smiling.

"Uhm, Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura started.

"Hmm?"

"Who's the..lady...I mean she's--"

"THIS IS THE "FRIEND" YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT, WASN'T IT KAKASHI-SENSEI?!" Naruto stated again, jumping up and down. Kakashi gave yet another sigh, knowing his team wouldn't change their ways even as they grew older. He glanced over at me, then looked back to the three Genin in front of him.

"Yes, Naruto. This is the lady I was talking about. Her name is Kara." he said, as if speaking to a child. I was taken aback. 'Kakashi was talking about me? Hmm..' I thought, looking up at the clouds.

"Hey, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked, now calmed.

"Hmm?"

"Is she..." he looked around and whispered, "more than a friend?" he held up his pinky finger. Kakashi looked over at me and paused for a moment. I nodded, silently telling him to go ahead.

"Yes, Naruto. She's.." he looked at me again. "More than a friend." he said. Everything grew silent, Naruto being the first one to break it.

"I KNEW IT!" Naruto exclaimed, dancing around. "Kakashi-sensei has a girlfriend, Kakashi-sensei has a girlfriend." he sung. I blushed furiously, wondering if he had told them the whole story or not. Kakashi sighed again, really getting angry at Naruto for embarrassing him. Even though he didn't show it much, he was happy.

"Uhm. Aren't you guys supposed to be training?" I asked, still blushing.

"AHA! She's blushing! Kakashi-sensei, you must have really made a first impression on her to make her blush like that!" Naruto said, laughing.

"NARUTO! WOULD YOU SHUT UP ALREADY?!" Sakura yelled, yet again jamming her fist into Naruto's head once more. "Man, you are such a pain." she said again.

"Let me know when you guys are done arguing so we can start training." Kakashi said, reading his book.

**--After training--**

Kakashi and I thought we would take the squad to Ichiraku Ramen for lunch, seeing that they did a good job with training today. Hearing this, Naruto went around yelling.

"Ichiraku is the best! I go there all the time, believe it! My blood is practically MADE of ramen!" he said, snickering.

"We know, Naruto.." Sakura said, stepping back so she could walk next to Sasuke.

"You know, Sasuke..the way Kakashi-sensei is with someone now is kinda cute..maybe you and I should get together sometime." she said sweetly, hoping Sasuke would take notice.

"No, Sakura." he replied coldly. Sakura sighed, again knowing this was a lost cause. I walked over to her.

"Something wrong?" I asked, glancing over at Sasuke who was walking alone.

"No.." she said, shaking her head and shrugging it off.

"Are you sure?" I asked again. She smiled up at me.

"Yeah." she said.

**--Ichiraku Ramen--**

Everyone ordered their ramen as we sat and talked about everyday things. It got quiet for a while, then Sakura was the one to break the silence.

"Hey, Kara-sensei?" she asked. I was taken aback at the suffix she had added. I wasn't a teacher, and I particularily wasn't a sensei to anyone I knew of.

"Yeah?"

She giggled and slightly blushed. "Have you ever saw Kakashi's face?" she asked. This made Naruto walk over to where me and Kakashi were sitting.

"YES?! Have you?! He never shows it to anyone!!" he yelled, jamming his chopsticks in the air. Kakashi laughed.

"Heh..yeah, I have." I said, glancing over to Kakashi who was reading Make-Out Paradise yet again.

"HOW?! HE NEVER SHOWS IT TO ANYONE, BELIEVE IT! Kakashi-sensei, you show it to her but you won't show it to us?!" Naruto yelled yet again. This made Kakashi shut his book and give Naruto a glare. And this also made Naruto go back to his seat and continue eating his ramen.

--**Outside of Ichiraku Ramen--**

"Alright guys, you're free to go. See you tomorrow." Kakashi said, throwing up a hand in his students direction. He turned to me as his students left. "Now, what do you want to do? I'm going to head home." he said, taking my hand. I thought for a minute and remembered something.

"I have to go do something. I'll be home in a minute." I said, smiling.

"Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?"

"Yeah, I'm sure."

**--Hero's Memorial Monument--**

I walked over to the monument and bent down to see my parents' names engraved. They had died here as well in the Great War. I sighed.

"Hey mom..dad..I couldn't think of anything else to do, so I came here to bug you guys.." I said, sitting down on the cold grass. I stared at the monument as if waiting for an answer.

"Well, I finally caught up with Kakashi again..you know, the man you guys dragged me away from..? I'm moving in with him sometime...we met in the forest a day or two ago...and I--" I got cut off by the pain in my left eye. When the awakening jutsu is released, the marks go near your eyes. Even if you awaken the first stage, you still suffer from immense pain. The pain in my eye was dull, but still, it was there.

"What are you trying to say.." I whispered to the monument. I stared again, waiting for the pain to go away. It finally stopped. "I wonder what you guys could say to me...now that I'm happy again.." I said with a soft laugh. "If only you guys were still alive...so many things would have changed.." I said, thinking of the things I used to do with my parents. The pain in my eye come back, this time a little stronger than before, but still dull. Also, a screaming headache came with it. My hand shot up to cover my eye. "What are..you guys trying..to tell me.." I whispered to the monument again, waiting for a response. "Is everything..going to be okay..?" I asked again in a worried tone. The pain went away, as if to say 'yes.' My hand left my eye while another hand touched the back of my head, easing the headache.

"I wonder those things also...so many times.." a low voice came from behind me. I squinted my eyes because it was now getting dark, near dusktime. I turned around half-heartedly to see Kakashi standing before me. He sat down beside me in the grass and brought me close. "You come here too, huh?" he asked, voice still low and quiet.

I nodded. "Yeah.."

"I do too..."

"Obito, huh?" I asked, finally thanking Kami that my headache went away.

"Yeah.."

"My parents are here too.." I trailed off, pointing to the names that read 'Chiyoko and Taro Takeuchi.' Tracing my finger over them, I sighed again. We just sat there, staring at the names. The night got quieter and the cold wind brought a breeze across my face. I shivered slightly and brought myself closer to Kakashi, indicating that I was cold. He helped me up and we went home, hand in hand.

**--That Night--**

Kakashi had convinced me, yet again, to stay the night so we could, yet again, go over the moving plans. We didn't go over them. We just went to sleep. And then, I heard a knock on the door. A really, really loud and obnixous knock. I glanced at the clock. 'Three-thirty in the morning..' Kakashi, hearing the knock, woke up and went to the door. I got up slowly and followed him.

"Kakashi-sensei, sorry to wake you so late." Tsunade said. I squinted my eyes and rubbed my head. 'Yeah, I'm sorry too..this better be important...'

"It's fine. Did you need something?" he asked.

"Yeah. One of your teammates has gone missing." she said slowly.

I gasped, wondering who it could be.

"Who?" he asked suprisingly.

"It's..Naruto." she said slowly.

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**A/N: Sorry if that story confused anyone about anything. I was making a point across when I had fifty bizillion (i love that word) thoughts run through my head and I decided to type them up. Oh yeah, you're welcome for the cliffhanger also. :D Well, if you liked it, review.**


	4. Chapter 4: Kidnapped! Making The Plan

**A/N: So..hmm. Cliffhanger, eh? Yeah, I'm good at those. Well, maybe this chapter will be more or less of something interesting. Maybe. But this chapter may contain a slight spoiler, but it has a hidden meaning. THIS STORY CONTAINS FISHSTICK! AND SOME RANDOM SONG LYRICS! YAY! heh, that's an inside joke, but oh well. Oh, it contains my first fighting scene. And the sound effects are written here as the same as they are in my notebooks. It may seem weird, but oh well. Just deal with it. :) Oh yeah...don't kill me just because I don't know EXACTLY where the Akatsuki HQ is at...but no one knows where Orochimaru's place is right? So, haha. HA. anyway...**

**Listening To: Viva La Vida by Coldplay. (Their new song. It's cool. Even though I don't know what the name means...:D)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Or Kakashi. Or the random song lyrics. Yeah. Do you get it now? If I did..hehehe..you don't wanna know.**

* * *

Chapter Four: Kidnapped: Making The Plan.

I glanced at the clock. Naruto. Kidnapped. How could this happen? Why did it happen?

"Kidnapped? Seriously?" I asked in disbelief. Tsunade raised an eyebrow and sighed.

"Yes."

"Who by?"

"We think it's led to be..." she trailed off, not looking me or Kakashi in the eye. Kakashi raised an eyebrow and leaned against the doorframe, "the Akatsuki." she said. I sighed. I knew the Akatsuki. Knew what they were capable of. Knew that they just wanted any of the tailed-beasts to extract them and then the person would die. It had only been a couple of hours since I had met Naruto, but he'd grown on me. He wasn't like everyone else..he was..like me.

"We have to get him back." I said to myself. Kakashi, hearing this, was on his way to the bedroom to get new clothes on before Tsunade stopped him.

"You guys will go in the morning. Don't go now. Just rest up. It's going to be a long journey." Tsunade said.

"Are we going alone?" I asked. I knew me and Kakashi alone weren't enough to take down just one member of the Akatsuki, let alone the other eight.

"No, Asuma, Kurenai, and Guy are coming along. But you'll meet them in the forest. Don't worry about the squads, they'll be in good care. I wanted a five-man squad so that way you could get it done easier, not to mention faster. Be at my office at nine in the morning." she said, turning around and leaving. "Oh, guys? Take care of yourselves."

* * *

_"Am I part of the cure..? Or am I part of the disease..." -Clocks; Coldplay._

--**The Hokage's Office; Nine o'clock--**

"How could we have let this happen..?" I asked myself while Tsunade explained the mission to the others.

"There was nothing we can do about it..we didn't know of the situation." Kakashi said, sitting down beside me. I sighed, holding back tears.

Bang.

"Lady Tsunade!!"

Bang.

"Let me in there!!"

Bang. Bang. Bang. Lady Tsunade went and opened the door.

"Lady Tsunade!! Naruto hasn't shown up for... Kakashi-sensei, what's going on?" Sakura asked, while still being held by Tsunade's advisors. Kakashi and I remained silent.

"What's going on...?" she asked again. Tsunade sighed.

"Let her go." she said, pointing to her advisors. Sakura tripped but regained herself.

"Naruto..has been kidnapped.." Tsunade said, not taking her eyes off her desk. Sakura's expression fell, her face white as a ghost.

"Naruto.." she whispered lightly. I looked up and observed Sakura's reaction, noticing it was the same as when Sasuke had rejected her the day before. She really did care about Naruto, even though she probably didn't show it much. She probably cared more for Naruto than for Sasuke. Or so it would seem right now.

"Lady Hokage.." Sasuke muttered, casually walking in. He didn't look up. He was fixated on the floor, head hung down like he usually walked. "Naruto hasn't shown up yet, or Kakashi..do you.." he looked up, noticing all the jonin and Sakura, on her knees, in tears. "What's going on...?" he asked, scanning the room.

"Sasuke..Naruto...is..gone.." Sakura murmured, still crying. Neither one of us, me or Kakashi, got up to help her, or explain to Sasuke. Even Tsunade couldn't bring herself up to explain. Instead, she put on a business-like tone.

"Sakura." Tsunade said firmly, causing Sakura to lift her head slowly. "No need to worry about Naruto. He's fine. They're going after him. And they'll bring him back. I promise." she said hopefully, pointing toward us. Sakura wiped her tears and walked over to me. She looked at me, eyes filled with sadness, but courage as she hugged me. I just sat there, hiding my sadness, but I hugged her back tightly.

"Thank you." she murmured, then left. Sasuke had already gone, hearing the news about Naruto. Then it clicked on me. His brother was in the Akatsuki, right? Oh boy. This was fun.

_"If you love me, why did you let me go...?" -Violet Hill; Coldplay._

* * *

--**The Forest; almost a mile from the village gate--**

"Kakashi!" someone yelled, waving down to Kakashi and I. He stopped, motioning me to follow.

"We know, Kakashi." someone said. I had no idea who these guys were, but I took it as reinforcements Tsunade told us about. The woman nudged Kakashi.

"Aren't you going to introduce us?" she asked, pointing to me. I darted my eyes from left to right, nervous. I was already shaken up by Naruto, and the early morning woods didn't really seem to help all that much. Plus, I hated being introduced to new people.

"Oh," Kakashi said, glancing over at me, "this is Kara. She's.." he stated, not finishing his sentence. The guy in the middle with a bowl-like haircut gave a smile.

"Hehe, Kakashi. Finally found someone, eh? It's about time someone shared the springtime of youth with you." he stated boldly. I raised an eyebrow. Was he out of his mind..?

"She's my girlfriend." he said quickly, which came out more like, "she'smygirlfriend,okay?" I nodded, half smiling. It was awkward.

"Kara, this is Kurenai, Asuma, and Guy." he said. I smiled.

"Nice meeting you."

"Well, we better get going." Kakashi said, hands in pockets and sighing.

* * *

_"I'm just nothing, that's just what I've become...what am I waiting for..it's already done." -Believe; The Bravery._

**--The Forest--**

"Who would take Naruto..why would they take Naruto..?" I whispered to myself, inaudible. I knew the answers. Oh I knew alright. I just didn't want to let myself believe it. "I can't let Naruto die. I can't do that." I whispered again.

"Kara! Watch out!" Kakashi yelled. I felt something pierce my skin. Intentionally, my hand shot up to cover the wound as I flew down to where everyone else was.

"Dang.." I said, making some quick hand signs for some healing jutsu to recover the wound.

"Looks like I was right on target, eh?" someone said, appearing behind me. I grabbed a kunai and turned around. I laughed.

"Kisame Hoshigaki, no? Long time no see." I said, twirling the kunai around my finger.

"I'm honored you remembered my name." he said, advancing forward. I looked around to see if anyone else was with him. Remembering that his partner was Itachi, after all. "I wouldn't get distracted if I were you. Your little nine-tailed brat kid is already dead." he said, thrusting his sword forward and cutting me slightly on the leg.

'Breathe. Relax. Naruto isn't dead. Don't psyche yourself out.'

'Breathe.'

'BREATHE, YOU STUPID MORON!'

So I flew up into a tree, made some more hand signs and healed my leg. And then I listened. It was silent. I looked around. No sign of Kisame. Anywhere. But it was getting foggy..and pretty cold. 'Hidden Mist Jutsu, eh. One trick pony.' I thought, grabbing a kunai and concentrating, fixating on any sound that might have came from anywhere. The slightest hint of sound. I wondered where Kakashi was. Then it hit me. Kakashi's gone. So were Kurenai, Asuma, and Guy. Oh my Kami. They were gone. And I was stuck with a rogue ninja who could kill me. Thanks guys. You're the best.

I gathered up my courage and went down to where Kisame and I were previously standing, before everyone went away. I was alone in the clearing, waiting, yet again, for the slightest hint of sound.

"I see you noticed my jutsu..very clever." Kisame said, coming out of no where.

"Yeah. Wasn't that hard, was it?" I smirked. He thrusted his sword forward as I jumped back and made some hand signs.

(sfx-hand signs) "Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!" I yelled, watching Kisame get hit. 'Seems too easy..' I thought, looking around again as Kisame disappeared, looking for the team. No where. Until.

'Birds? Huh? There weren't any birds in sight..what was that noise..it sounds so..' my thoughts were interrupted by Kakashi, appearing out of no where, hitting Kisame with Lightning Blade. I just stood there, angry. 'I could have done something..I could have done something..' I cursed myself for not doing anything and letting Kakashi step in for me.

"Are you okay?"

No. I'm not okay. I just got saved. I could have done something. Oh, Naruto is dead by the way.

"Kara, are you okay?" he repeated. I looked up.

"Huh? Yeah. I'm fine." I lied, looking around as Kurenai, Asuma, and Guy appeared next to Kakashi.

"We took care of the others." Guy said, catching his breath.

"Others?" I asked, raising my eyebrows.

"Well, Kisame made a few water clones. And he brought backup." Guy informed me.

"Backup?"

"Couple of random ninja. No worries though, they're done for." Asuma said, lighting his cigarette. Cigarettes. This guy smokes. Great.

"We'd better get going." Kakashi said once more, leading us in the direction that Kisame had originally came from.

* * *

_"I can stand my own ground..I don't need your help now..don't hold me up..don't let me down.." -Prayer of the Refugee; Rise Against._

**--The Forest; Near the Akatsuki HQ--**

"What do we--" I said, being cut off as what sounded like Naruto's scream. "NARUTO!" I yelled, going toward the building. I looked back at everyone. They followed.


	5. Chapter 5: Anything But This

**

* * *

**

A/N: Dont you wish Chuck Norris would come in here and kick everybody's rear end? Oh, that would be funny. The Akatsuki versus Chuck Norris. Hahahaha. I make myself laugh. Anyway, fifth chapter. Read on, kids. May the force be with you.

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto...or Kakashi...unfortunately..**

**Listening To: The Taste of Ink by The Used. I have such good taste in music.**

* * *

Chapter Five: Anything But This.

"NARUTO!!" I screamed, running towards the sound of his vioce. His screams were muffled, but I could still hear them.

"KARA-SENSEI!!" he yelled back, voice being heard loud and clear this time around. "HELP ME!" he yelled once again.

"I'm coming, Naruto! Hang in there!" I yelled again, still running towards his voice. I had no idea where he was. He was outside, that much I knew for sure. The rest of the guys and I had already talked up a plan: deceive the enemy from behind and counterattack. I sighed. Easier said than done. I stopped in my tracks, hearing Naruto's voice. I decided to concentrate and see if I can find a direct path that would lead me to him. Then, I felt something pierce my skin again. This time, it went deep.

"Agh...stupid..shuriken..why did they make these things, anyway..." I said to myself, pulling the shuriken out of my forearm. I didn't bother with the healing jutsu, it took up too much time and chakra. Although, I could use my Awakening Jutsu.

No.

I couldn't.

That was out of the question.

Pain and agony wasn't the feelings I wanted to especially feel right now.

Tap. Tap. Tap. I grunted, three more shuriken came flying toward me. I dodged two but another hit in my leg. Luckily, I saw them fly out, so I knew were they were coming from. I flew up to where the shuriken came from, only to be deceived. I looked around.

Nothing.

Nothing at all.

Great.

Naruto's voice became silent, along with the woods. Nothing was heard.

Not a thing.

Had they already killed him? "Agh, blast. Stupid Akatsuki." I muttered to myself.

It got quiet. Too quiet.

"KARA-SENSEI!!" he yelled again. I looked around quickly, noticing any hint of sound.

Wait a minute.

"If they wanted him...they would have already killed him." I muttered to myself. "If they wanted him, they wouldn't let him scream for mercy." I muttered again, making a mental note and pointing random things out to myself. I circled around the building.

"Kara-sen--"

"Shut up, you brat." I looked at the man standing in front of Naruto. Kisame. How did he survive..

"Kisame. Let him go." I said sternly.

"And what if I don't?" he said, pulling his sword forward.

"You die." I smirked, glancing over at Naruto. He laughed. Yes, that evil laugh of his almost made chills run up and down my spine. Another Akatsuki member stepped forward.

"Don't underestimate her, Kisame. Let me handle this." a husky voice said, that could only be recognized as Itachi Uchiha. 'Great, the Uchiha kid..' I thought, rolling my eyes. Kisame had Naruto tied up to some sort of...thing..strangling him, but not so that his life would be in danger. This made me raise an eyebrow. 'Why don't they just extract the demon and let him die? Why are they making him suffer?' I thought, distracted for the slightest moment. Suffer. That was the answer to all of my unsolved mysteries.

"I don't want to kill you. Why don't you just leave us alone already?" Itachi said, taking a step forward. Sounds pretty funny for a guy who murdered his own clan. 'He doesn't want to kill me. Right. And I'm the future Hokage...' I thought, yet again, rolling my eyes.

Then I heard that blasted noise again.

But it wasn't birds, it was something else. Crackling.

Then out of the corner of my eye, I saw Kakashi run towards Itachi with Lightning Blade again. Itachi just stepped aside, like it was nothing, tripping Kakashi as he went.

Kakashi.

He was hurt. Kakashi didn't get up. No one has ever NOT gotten hit by that attack.

And then there was Naruto. And Itachi, who wanted to kill me.

"You leave me with no choice." I said, hopping away and hiding behind some brush that hid me, but I could still see Naruto.

(sfx-hand signs) "Awakening Jutsu: One!" Coming out from behind the brush, I swung around Itachi and Kisame, causing a direct hit to Itachi's ribcage and Kisame's abdomen. This made Kisame let go of Naruto, but he was still tied up. Itachi stood there, hand held up to where I hit him. He lunged forward, but I kneed him in the stomach, causing him to fly up into the air. I went up and kicked him down to the ground furiously, while seeing Kisame rise up behind me and held a kunai knife to my throat. I grabbed his hands and jerked them in, and elbowed him in the stomach forcefully as he skidded among the ground.

I was breathing hard. Kakashi still wasn't moving, and Naruto has lost conciousness.

"We gave him something...so he..wouldn't..wake up.." Itachi muttered, getting back onto his feet.

"Too bad. Now it's my turn." he said, opening his eyes.

"No one can resist the Tsukoyomi. (A/N: Don't kill me if I spelled this wrong!) Now, let me show you the true power of the Uchi--what?!" he yelled in defiance. I swung a kunai around my finger.

"Say hello to your worst nightmare, buddy. Oh, and take notice of the Paralysis Genjutsu." I said, making some quick hand signs. "Awakening Jutsu: Two!" the black marks across my skin got darker. I saw Kakashi stagger to his feet and look at me weirdly. I nodded as he went back to where he came from.

Knowing Itachi couldn't move, I laughed. "How does it feel?"

He retorted. "What?"

"Knowing that you couldn't take me down." I said, smirking as I jammed the kunai into his arms.

Flip.

We switched positions.

"A weak Genjutsu doesn't effect me." he said simply, opening his eyes again.

* * *

**--The Tsukoyomi Realm--**

"Now, I'll continue stabbing you for the next seventy-two hours." he said, stabbing me continously. Over and over. Over. And over again.

Then.

* * *

**--The actual world--**

The daylight sun made me cover my eyes with my hands.

"Stupid..." I muttered again.

"Awakening Jutsu:...Three.." I whispered lowly. "Now, you've really done it." I said, taking out a sword and holding it up against his neck.

He flinched slightly. The Great Uchiha flinched at the coldness of the sword's metal hitting his skin. But, I drew back my sword and hit him simply across the back of the neck, causing him to pass out. Kisame awakened. Great. Another problem.

"I'm not going that easy." he smirked, slowly taking his sword out and thrusting it forward.

I jumped back, the sword swinging underneath me. Kicking myself mentally, knowing that this was a life or death situation, I had to.

"Mom...Dad...please..forgive me.." I whispered.

"Awakening Jutsu: Complete!" the air grew cold. The sky got dark and black. Kisame looked around him.

"Wh--what's happening..?!" he yelled, swinging his sword around.

"It's no use, buddy." my voice hovered over him. I glanced over at Kakashi. He nodded, made some quick hands signs and done the Lightning Blade again, this time, actually hitting Kisame. Kakashi and I walked over towards where Naruto was tied up. Kurenai, Guy, and Asuma came out, finishing off the other ninja that was in their way. I stared at Naruto for a second as Kakashi severed the ropes that were binding Naruto. Kurenai walked over.

"Is he okay?" she asked, bending down to where I was. I just sat there, staring. I doubled over in pain. "Kara! What's wrong? Are you okay?" she asked again, glancing from me to Kakashi, then to Naruto.

I couldn't speak. The pain was too severe. My hands shot up towards my eyes. My feet were doubled over so they could diminish the pain I was feeling in my torso area. I was shaking, but I was still in consciousness.

"We have to get Naruto to a hospital. Not to mention Kara. If we leave her like this, she's going--" Kurenai started, but I held up a hand. I slowly brought Naruto towards me, my arms stinging at everything I touched. I forgot about the pain and focused in on Naruto. I ripped his jacket with a kunai and started listening to his heartbeat.

Th-dump. Th--dump. Th...dump.

His heartbeat was going slower and his breathing become labored. I listened again.

Nothing.

Not a sound was heard.

Not one.

I started crying.

"Kara! What's wrong?" Kakashi asked, coming over and bending down towards me.

"He's..."

No. I couldn't bear to say it. Anything but this.


	6. Chapter 6: Revived!

A/N: Whoo. Sixth chapter. Hope you guys like it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Or Kakashi. But the OC's are mine. :)

Listening To: Nothing. How enjoyable.

Chapter Six: Revived!

* * *

"He's..." I trailed off, not wanting to say the last part of the sentence.

"Oh no." Kakashi started, putting a hand on my shoulder. How could I let this happen? Why could I let this happen? I was supposed to protect everyone, not let them die! I started crying, banging my hands against Naruto's poor, exhausted body. Everyone scattered away, silently telling me that it was okay to cry and I needed sometime alone. It started raining. The black clouds, the fog that had lifted, and the cold rain seemed to filter around me. Not making it any better, it started to thunder.

"K..Ka..Kara...sen..sei.." someone sputtered out. I looked around and down at Naruto.

"K..Kara..sensei.." Naruto managed to say again, taking my hand in his. "It's...okay.." he barely cut out. I cried even harder.

_He was alive._

"N..Naruto?" I asked in disbelief.

"It's...okay...until I become...Hokage...I won't...leave.." he said, forcing a smile. Kakashi, Kurenai, Asuma, and Guy walked over.

"We should get him to the hospital.." Kurenai said.

"Yeah." Kakashi said, helping me up.

* * *

**--Konoha Hospital--**

"He'll be fine." Tsunade said, feeling of Naruto's forehead.

Bang.

"LADY TSUNADE!!"

Bang.

"I HEARD HE WAS--"

Thump.

Sakura fell over as someone rushed to the door and opening it, afraid to wake up Naruto with that excessive banging noise.

"He's...alive?" Sakura asked, holding back tears.

"Of course he is! Do you think I'd let him die? Please, this little man is the next Hokage. He's not going anywhere." I said, reassuring Sakura. Sakura smiled at me, walking over and giving me a hug.

"Thank you." she said, hugging me tighter.

"No problem."

* * *

**--Naruto's House, The Next Day--**

Naruto rose up to the beams of sunshine on his face, and the warm, spring air floating through his window. He got out of his bed and went to get dressed. Then, he went to the kitchen and got out his favourite meal that he ate three times a day: ramen.

After eating breakfast, he went out to the training grounds to find Kakashi, Sakura and Sasuke there together.

* * *

**--The Training Grounds--**

"Hey guys!" Naruto exclaimed, waving as he ran towards his teammates.

"Naruto! Wait--NARUTO?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" Sakura yelled, getting ready to connect her fist with her teammate's face if she needed to.

"What do you mean, Sakura?" Naruto asked, coming to a screeching halt in front of the pink haired kunoichi.

"You're supposed to be in the hospital!" she informed.

"Eh, Grandma Tsunade said I could be released. She didn't find anything wrong." Naruto said, placing his hands behind his head. He glanced over to his sensei, who, suprisingly, wasn't reading his book. He looked like he was off in another world.

"Kakashi-sensei? Are you okay..?" Sakura said, following Naruto's gaze toward said sensei.

No reply.

"Hmm?" Kakashi said, turning his head around to his pupils.

"Is something wrong?" Naruto asked, eyeing his teacher suspiciously.

"Oh, no. I'm just thinking." Kakashi replied, turning his head back to where he once stared. 'Why do I feel like something is wrong..?' he thought, bringing his hand up to scratch his head. 'This doesn't feel right..'

"Okay, guys, ready to start training?" Kakashi asked, hoping that training would take his mind off of whatever was bothering him.

"YEAH! Hey, Kakashi-sensei?! Teach me something new today!" Naruto exclaimed, jamming his fists in the air.

No reply.

"Kakashi-sensei?!" Naruto asked again, getting in front of his teacher's face.

"Oh, sorry. Well, er..we'll see." he said, patting Naruto on the head.

* * *

**--After Training; The Academy--**

Iruka sat at his desk, grading papers from the class that was previously let out. The students were gone for the day, and he decided to catch up on his paperwork. He was about to grab a new stack when there was a knock on the door. He went over and answered it.

"Kakashi-sensei? What brings you here?" Iruka asked suprisingly. Kakashi looked around and let himself in.

"Have you seen Kara anywhere? I can't find her." Kakashi said in a worried tone.

"Kara...Oh, yes, her. Hmm, no. Afraid I haven't. Sorry. Was she not at home?" Iruka asked, sitting down again.

"I haven't checked there yet..I was asking around first." he said.

"Hmm. Well, she may be there. You never know."

"She's usually waiting for me after I get finished with training with Naruto and the others. In fact, she usually joins in and helps with them. But she never came today." Kakashi said, looking out the window. Iruka could tell that there was something wrong with his old friend.

"Alright. If you can't find her, I'll report to the Hokage." Iruka said, looking up from his papers. Kakashi smiled at his friend.

"Thanks, Iruka."

"No problem. Let me know if you find her."

* * *

**--Home; Late Afternoon--**

Kakashi got his keys out of his pocket and opened the door to the apartment. He walked in and looked around.

"Kara...? Are you here? Where are you?" he called, searching.

No sign.

No hint of sound.

Nothing.

This made Kakashi more nervous, and sahking while he opened the door to the bathroom.

Nothing.

He sighed and walked into the kichen, looking around.

Nothing.

He tried the bedroom door, but heard something before he walked in. A loud 'thump' noise, like someone hitting something. He opened the door quickly, afraid of what he mind find.

"K..Kara?!" he said, reaching down toward me.

"K..Kakashi.." I faintly said, his image getting blurrier by the second. "It's..aftereffects..I need.." I trailed off, falling faint.

"Need what?! What do you need?" he asked again, shaking me.

No answer.

'Hospital...she needs to go to the hospital.' he thought before leaving.

* * *

**--Konoha Hospital; Late Evening--**

Kakashi paced around outside of the room while Shizune and Tsunade were in there. He was nervous, he barely could sit down without worrying his head off. Suddenly, the door opened and Tsunade came out.

"Kakashi...I'd like to speak with you." she said simply, motioning him over. He followed and shut the door behind him.

"What jutsu did Kara use on the mission you guys previously went on?" she asked.

"Hmm. Just her Awakening Jutsu. Oh, and a couple of Fire Style. But that was it. Why?" he asked, eyeing Tsunade suspiciously.

Tsunade walked over to Kakashi.

"The Takeuchi clan..they created the Awakening Jutsu only as a last resort type of deal. The clan itself knows almost every jutsu. But the Awakening Jutsu has some nasty side effects. Kara used all four stages, right?" she asked, placing a hand on Kakashi's leg to comfort him.

"Yes. Why, is there something wrong?" he asked, getting more nervous. Tsunade looked down and sighed.

"I'm sorry, Kakashi...Kara might not make it."

* * *

A/N: Wow, this story had a lot of scenery change in it. It also was a little short, but eh. I'm sorry if the scenery change confused anyone. I'm going to start centering anything in bold print, so that way it may make everything a little more easier to understand. Well, hoped you like it!


	7. Chapter 7: Having Faith

A/N: Well, not much to say here, so. Hope you like the chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Or the lyrics that are in the story. Obviously. Because I can't really write a good song. :)

Listening To: In The Air Tonight by Phil Collins. I should have been born in the 80s..

* * *

Chapter Seven: Having Faith.

"_How could you just leave me standing...alone in a world that's so cold..." -When Doves Cry; Prince._

"I'm sorry, Kakashi. Kara might not make it." Tsunade repeated again. Kakashi closed his eyes and threw up a hand, indicating for her to stop. He didn't want to hear it again; heck. He didn't want to bear to hear it again, nevertheless. He'd lost everything once, and losing Kara didn't make it better. He wanted her to be with him..not having to run away like she had to the last time they'd met. He loved her, and he'd do anything to prove it.

"Is there..any way...to save her..?" he asked slowly, leaning forward and putting his head in his hands.

"I..don't know.." Tsunade said, not meeting his eyes. "We'll have to leave her here in ICU until we can figure something out."

"Alright...let me know if you..find anything.." Kakashi said, getting up to leave.

"Kakashi?" Tsunade called after, getting up as well. He turned around half-heartedly.

"Hmm?"

"...Take care.."

_"I never wanted to be a weekend lover...I wanted to be some kind of friend.." -Purple Rain; Prince._

* * *

--**The House; That Night--**

Kakashi sighed and entered the house, obviously depressed.

"Kara?" he asked, then suddenly realizing that it wouldn't do any good to call out the name. He sighed once more and turned down the bed, seeing it empty didn't make things a lot better. He needed someone to talk to. He needed Kara right now. He slammed his head down on the pillow, wanting to go to sleep, but couldn't. He couldn't concentrate, heck. He couldn't even think straight. He tossed and turned all night, until finally, five hours later, he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

--**The Training Grounds--**

_"Romeo and Juliet..are together in eternity...forty-thousand people everyday...(ending up like) Romeo and Juliet..." -Don't Fear the Reaper; Blue Oyster Cult._

"Kakashi-sensei..is something wrong?" Sakura asked, coming up to greet her sensei. She noticed he was out of it today, in some sort. She just couldn't place her finger on it. Kakashi looked up from the ground he was absentmindedly staring at and sighed.

"No..I'm fine. You wouldn't understand..adults have their own worries.." he said, placing a hand on Sakura's pink hair to reassure her.

"Hey, Kakashi-sensei! Is..is there something wrong?" Naruto said, running over to said sensei and teammate.

Kakashi sighed in defeat.

"Well, I guess I should tell you guys, then." he said, shoving his hands back in his pockets. The two teammates looked at him, wondering what could be wrong.

"It's..Kara. She...used her Awakening Jutsu..and Tsunade said she might not make it from recovery." he said, not looking at his students. Instead, he looked up at the sky, wishing everything would go right. Naruto sat down on the grass, awestruck by what his sensei had just told them.

"Kara-sensei..she...risked her life for me.." Naruto said absentmindedly. Kakashi nodded.

"I heard about what went down...she means a lot to you, doesn't she, sensei?" Naruto asked, picking at some grass. Kakashi nodded again and glanced up at the sky once more.

"I heard about the mission...Lady Tsunade told the details about it to me, when I was helping her do some paperwork, along with Shizune. She put her life on the line...she didn't give up for you, Naruto." Sakura said, glancing at Naruto and sitting beside him.

"You should have seen her. She took charge right away..she's always been like that. She fought against almost all of the Akatsuki members for you. Heh. She pushed everyone along, even when we didn't feel like going...she reminds me of you..in fact, she is a lot like you." Kakashi said, sitting down as well.

"She is?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah. She lost her parents at a young age as well. I caught her talking to the memorial stone..it was kind of funny, actually, but still. She lost her parents, and then had to rebel against the Cloud Village. That's why she moved here, so she could start her life anew.." Kakashi trailed off. "That's why she insists on you so much. She may not show it, but she cares a lot about you."

"Well.." Naruto started, getting up.

"Naruto, what are you doing?" asked Sakura, who was getting up as well.

"Kakashi-sensei...he doesn't deserve this..." Naruto said, clenching his fists together.

"Hmm?" Kakashi hummed, looking around at Naruto.

"We have to find a way...somehow..to save Kara-sensei." Naruto said, looking around.

"Naruto, it's out of your hands. There's nothing you could--"

"No, Sakura. I will do something. She risked her life for me. Now it's time I risk my life for her." Naruto said, putting on a bravado.

Kakashi looked at Naruto, stunned. Sakura did this as well.

"I'm leaving...if you guys want to come..that's fine.." Naruto said, leaving.

* * *

**--Konoha Hospital; Intensive Care Unit #2--**

_"The hurt doesn't show..but the pain still grows...it's no stranger to you and me.." -In The Air Tonight; Phil Collins._

"Grandma Tsunade!" Naruto screamed, running down the hall towards ICU # 2. Tsunade turned around, abruptly stopping her conversation with her assistant, Shizune.

"Hmm? Naruto? What are you doing here?" Tsunade asked, eyeing Naruto suspiciously.

Naruto came to a halt and caught his breath before speaking.

"Kara-sensei..is she going to be okay?" Naruto asked, still catching his breath.

"Who..told you about Kara?" she asked, eyeing Kakashi upon his arrival with Sakura.

Kakashi scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, and laughed nervously.

"Well, you can't tell a kid a lie..and--"

"She's not--" Tsunade said, only to be interrupted by someone yelling.

"LADY TSUNADE!! YOU HAVE TO SEE THIS!!" Shizune said, running out of the room.

"Shizune! Calm down! What's wrong?" Tsunade asked.

"It's Kara..she's..." Shizune started, obviously in shock. Tsunade ran into the room, as well as Naruto, Sakura and Kakashi, staring straight at me.

"Those hand signs..it can't be.." Tsunade whispered to herself, almost inaudible. "That jutsu.."

"Kara-sensei!! What--"

"Naruto, come over here..." I said weakly. He walked over. "Place your hands on mine..I don't have enough chakra to perform this.." I said, half-smiling.

"Kara...you shouldn't even be awake..." Tsunade whispered again.

Naruto placed his hands on mine and repeated the same hand signs I did, preforming the jutsu.

"Her damaged organs are regenerating...just like that...her chakra is coming back as well. Her heartbeat is stabilized, as well as...well...pretty much everything else.." Shizune said, eyeing the EKG and ECG monitors.

"That jutsu...you created it during the Great War, didn't you..?" Tsunade asked me as I regained my composure.

"Yeah..kind of like your Mitotic Regeneration technique..only..a level higher, sort of." I said, sitting up.

"Kara!" Kakashi yelled, running toward me and giving me a hug. A very tight hug, as a matter of fact.

"Relax, Kakashi. I'm fine." I said, catching by breath.

"I couldn't sleep last night..I was so worried about you..they said.." he trailed off, not wanting to say the last part.

"They said...?" I repeated, eyeing Tsunade and Shizune suspiciously.

"You wouldn't make it.." he said, looking down. I glanced at Tsunade.

"And why not?"

"Well, your peripheral nerves were--"

"Okay, okay. Let's just put all this behind us, alright? I'm alive now." I said, attempting to get Kakashi off of me.

"Kara-sensei..?" Naruto asked, breaking the minute-long silence.

"Yeah?"

"You're welcome for the chakra." he said, grinning. I got up and pulled him into a hug.

"Get over here, you knucklehead."

* * *

A/N: Heh, I know that ended kind of weird, but oh well. Oh and if anyone wants to know what a 'peripheral nerve' is, feel free and ask! :D


	8. Chapter 8: The First Fight

A/N: Wow. Three-hundred page views in almost a week. Ah. I can't believe it. Well, here is the next chapter. Hope you like it! I know this chapter is a little short, but I wanted to end it where it was.

I hate writer's block.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto; but I have Kakashi tied up in my room. hehe. oh, the wonderful things you can do with a tied up copy-ninja. :) joking.

Listening To: Everyday Combat by Lost Prophets.

* * *

Chapter Eight: The First Fight.

**--The House; Early Morning--**

I woke up later than I usually did, because I had just gotten discharged out of the hospital. Just being here made me happy. I looked around for Kakashi. 'He's..gone?' I thought to myself. I got up slowly and went toward the bathroom to search when something caught my eye on the bed. I picked it up and read it.

_"Kara,_

_Our squad had an early mission today, I'm sorry I left you like this. We should be back soon, but after I return, I'm heading into the market to get a few things. I made some breakfast for you, it's in the refrigerator. I'll be back as soon as I can. Take care of yourself._

_Love,_

_Kakashi."_

Hm. Being alone in a house. Without Kakashi. And breakfast. Also, a fear of being alone and paranoia.

Nice combination, ne?

I sighed, giving up in defeat, knowing I was alone for probably the rest of the day. I went up and got the breakfast out of the refrigerator, heated it up, and started to eat. Looking out the window, I sighed again. This being my first time alone was starting to make me worry. I had nothing to do. The silence of the house made me worry even more.

"I wonder what they're doing...I wonder if they're okay.." I said, talking to myself.

"What to do, what to do...well...I could go check on everyone." I said, grabbing a piece of paper and writing a note to Kakashi, just in case he came home before I did.

_"Kakashi,_

_I went out into town to check on everyone and do some things, probably run some errands. I'll be back soon; hope you didn't take it too hard on your mission._

_Love,_

_Kara."_

* * *

**--The Academy; Playground--**

"Alright kids, settle down! This is the last time I'm telling you! If I see someone punch another one more time, you're going in time out!" Iruka yelled to his class, sighing, then taking his place on the bench.

"Looks like you have your hands full." I said, appearing behind Iruka.

"Oh! Kara-san..I..I didn't see you there..." Iruka said, blushing.

"Heh, sorry. Kara is fine, by the way." I said, laughing and sitting beside him.

"Hey! You were..supposed to be in the hospital!" he sort-of yelled. I laughed.

"I'm fine now. I got discharged yesterday."

"What brings you here, then?" he asked. I sighed.

"Kakashi is out on a mission with the squad..I woke up to find him gone. I was bored, so I came to check on everyone..because, really, when you're alone, there's nothing to do." I said, looking out on all the kids running around.

He laughed nervously. "Well, you're welcome to stay here if you'd like." he said.

"Alright."

"Well, I'm taking Naruto out for some ramen after he gets back, would you like to join us? I mean, if Kakashi isn't back." he said happily.

"Sure!"

* * *

**--Ichiraku Ramen--**

**(After the squad had returned from their mission.)**

"Kara-sensei is joining us?" Naruto asked, going into the ramen shop.

"Yep." I said proudly.

"But isn't Kakashi-sensei going to be worried?" he asked, sitting down on one of the stools, Iruka beside him, and me beside Iruka.

"I left him a note." I said, sitting down.

"What was your mission like, Naruto?" Iruka asked.

Naruto began to go on about how Sasuke had 'saved' him again, and how he got really mad. And then Sakura kept hitting him, and how Kakashi just stood there, reading his book. Then, finally, they joined together to complete the mission, and Sakura chased after Sasuke while Kakashi filed in his mission report and went to the market.

"Sounds like Kakashi." I said, taking another bite of my ramen. "Did you know what he went into town for?" I asked.

Naruto grinned.

"Yes."

"Well, tell me."

"I can't."

This made Iruka and I perk up. Naruto hardly kept anything from anyone.

"Why not?" I asked, getting slightly angry.

"Because. Kakashi-sensei only told me. He didn't tell anyone else, either. He knew his secret was safe with me, believe it!" Naruto said, gulping down his second bowl of ramen. "He did say that the only thing I could tell you was, it's for your birthday." he said, ordering another bowl.

"My..birthday? My birthday isn't until the eighth." I said, repeating.

"That's tomorrow." Iruka pointed out.

"Oh."

"Well, I'd better get home and get to that secret-keeping, crazy head, weirdo of mine. Bye guys. Thanks Iruka, for the ramen. I owe you one." I said, giving Iruka a slight hug.

"Bye, Kara!" they yelled.

* * *

**--The House; Late Afternoon--**

Hoping to find Kakashi waiting for me, I opened the door without hesitation.

"Kakashi?" I yelled.

No answer.

I looked in every room.

Nothing.

Making up my mind, I finally decided to search for him.

* * *

--**Ten Minutes Later; The House--**

Kakashi came home and opened the door, bags of stuff in hand. He fumbled to get the keys back in his pocket without dropping the bags he was carrying. He looked over and found the note and read it aloud to himself. Getting fed up, he put the bags down and went out to search.

* * *

**--A Few Hours Later, After Searching, The House. Again.--**

A few hours later I went up the steps toward the house, hearing some crackling behind me. I turned around, only to be not-so-welcomed by Kakashi, who sighed heavily.

"There you are! I was looking all over for you!" he practically yelled. Any louder and you could've heard it on the whole block.

"I was looking for you too!" I yelled back, trying to open the door. When I did, I almost fell face-first into the room, Kakashi in toe behind me.

"Where did you go?!" he yelled. I took a step back from him. He advanced forward again.

"I went out into town, had some ramen with Iruka and Naruto, then came back here. I saw you were gone, and decided to go search for you." I said, my voice shaking.

"I told you where I was." he said, voice low. His eyes were glaring straight at me. His glare could kill.

Scratch that.

His glare could kill, mercilessly.

"Well, maybe I got a little worried, okay?!" I yelled, taking another step back.

"I had a reason to be gone." he said, voice still low. I was trembling already.

"Oh, really? What reason?" I yelled. He got out a small box and threw it at me.

"That reason." he said, before storming off.


	9. Chapter 9: Being A Hero

A/N: Well, chapter nine. Based on the song I keep repeating over..and over..and over...  
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto; or the song lyrics I may put up or whatever.  
Listening to: Hero by Enrique Iglesias. :( Such a sad song..I cried while I typed this part.

* * *

Chapter Nine: Being A Hero.

_"I'm standing on the edge and I don't know what else to give.."  
__-Do You Know; Enrique Iglesias._

He threw the small box down on the floor in front of me and stormed off. I fell to my knees, crying.

"What have I done.." I asked myself, bursting into tears. I winced as he slammed the door. I never wanted to hurt him; or offend him. I probably didn't even know _how_ to, nevertheless. I took the box and laid it on the dresser in the bedroom and slept on the couch that night.

* * *

**--The Next Day; Kara's Birthday--**

_"Would you save my soul..tonight?" -Hero; Enrique Iglesias._

I woke up on the couch, not really getting much sleep because of the previous night and what happened. I sighed, knowing that Kakashi was still probably mad at me, and that today was just going to get worse. I tiptoed my way into the bedroom, not wanting him to hear me or not wanting him to know I was there.

"Kakashi...?" I asked, my voice probably shaking with fear. I peered my head around the threshold of the door, only to find that the bedroom was empty. I tiptoed to the bathroom and put my ear up to the shut door. I heard water running, coming to the conclusion that he was taking a shower. I decided to make up the bed. I glanced over my shoulder as he came out of the bathroom, toweling his hair to get it dry.

"Kakashi..." I said again, attempting to get his attention.

No answer; he just went into the kitchen. I fell down onto my knees again, clutching the bedspread in my hand as I shivered, my crying becoming stronger. The door slammed again, and I saw him leave. I sighed again, my crying coming to a stop. I went into the kitchen and sat down at the table.

"What do I do...what _did_ I do.." I asked myself, twirling my fingers together, recalling the fight. "Oh, yeah..that's right.." I said, realizing everything that happened..

* * *

**--The Training Grounds--**

_"I can be your hero, baby..I can kiss away the pain..I will stand by you forever..you can take my breath away.." -Hero; Enrique Iglesias._

"What's wrong Kakashi-sensei? You seem a little down..?" Sakura asked, coming over to her sensei, who was on top of the hill. Kakashi looked over and put on a fake smile.

"It's nothing. I'm fine." he lied, placing a hand on the girls' pink hair in order to reassure her. Sakura saw through his fake plastered smile and sat down beside him.

"Kakashi-sensei..is..is there something wrong with..with Kara-sensei?" she asked, afraid of his answer. He let out a deep sigh.

"Yeah..there is, actually..it's not only her..it's me as well." he said, not looking her in the eye. Naruto came over and sat down, as well as Sasuke. Apparently Sasuke had nothing better to do.

"What's wrong, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked, leaning in. Sasuke raised an eyebrow. He wasn't one to care; but something hardly ever bothered Kakashi.

"Kara and I...we..got into a fight..yesterday.." he said, picking some grass off the hill and throwing it aside.

"Oh yeah..today's her birthday, isn't it?" Naruto asked. Kakashi nodded.

"Yeah..and I threw her present at her and stormed off last night...I shouldn't have done that..I'm such a fool.." he said, looking up at the birds in the sky.

"Kakashi-sensei..did you apologize?" Naruto asked. Kakashi sighed again. There were almost a million things he forgot to do this morning, and apologizing was first on his list. Only he was too busy being ignorant to do all million of them.

"No.." he muttered under his breath. "She probably won't even talk to me anymore..she's probably.." he started, suddenly getting up, "she's probably going to leave again."

"Well, Kakashi-sensei, we each bought her a present.." Sakura said, hoping to make her sensei feel better. Kakashi looked down. They sure did. Even Sasuke had one. He took them and half-smiled.

"Thanks guys. I'll see you guys later, you can go train by yourselves if you want." Kakashi said, before leaving.

* * *

**--The Town; Late Afternoon--**

_"Would you die...for the one you love..? Hold me in your arms..tonight." _

_-Hero; Enrique Iglesias._

_"_Hey, Kakashi!" Guy yelled from out of no where. Kakashi looked up.

"Sorry, Guy. I don't have time to talk. I've got someone who needs me." Kakashi said before running off. Guy had a skeptical look on his face.

"Someone who..Oh! My eternal rival's lover! Hah, let the flame of youth burn inside you!"

* * *

--**The House; Late Afternoon/Dusk time--**

_"Would you swear..that you'll always be mine.."_

"Kara? Are you.." he trailed off, opening the door. He noticed the box on the dresser in the bedroom. He smiled and grabbed it. "Kara.." he called again.

"Kakashi?" I asked, coming from the shower.

"Kara?" he asked.

We both stared at each other for a second, neither of us knowing what to say. We'd both felt hurt that night, not to mention how we felt this morning.

"Kara, I'm sor--"

"Kakashi, it's not your fault." I said, staring at the floor. "If I hadn't gone out, none of this probably would have happen--"

"It is my fault. I never should have blew you off like that. I'm so sorry." he said, coming toward me. I started crying as he wrapped his arms around me.

"It's okay. I'm sorry too." I said, clinging onto him.

And so we just stood there, hugging each other as I cried. I didn't know why I started crying, it's like it was just some first-born reaction. He finally let go.

"Well, since it's your birthday, everyone deserves a present or two." he said, reaching into a bag and bringing out three boxes. We sat down on the bed together.

"Who are these from?" I asked, looking at one of the boxes.

"The gang. Naruto must have told everyone it was your birthday, and they all went out and got you something. That one is from Naruto." he said, pointing to the box I was holding. I opened it up. It was a picture Kakashi, myself, and the rest of the gang took at a photo booth on one of our days off. Even Iruka was there as well. I laughed and looked at the frame; it had everyone's engraved names on it.

"Heh. Poor Naruto; always thinking of the most creative ways for a birthday gift." I said, laughing and putting the frame aside. I held up another one.

"That one is from Sasuke." he said, taking off his vest and slinging it somewhere in the room. I gasped quietly.

"Wow..it's..hmm." I said, unsure of what to call it. It was a kunai knife that was pretty weird looking, but I liked it anyway.

"It's pretty awkward, but I'm sure you'll get used to it." he said, leaning back on the pillows. I picked up another box, all wrapped up in pink wrapping paper. I laughed.

"This one must be from Sakura, then. Or, Naruto got me another one and wrapped it up in pink paper." I said, laughing harder, picturing Naruto doing something like that. I opened it up and gasped again. "It's...beautiful." I said, holding up the violetish-blue kimono she had given me.

"It'll look good on you." he said, smirking. I stared at him.

"I'm sure it would.." I said, getting up to put the gifts on the dresser. He grabbed my hand to stop me.

"There's another one." he said, reaching for the small box he threw at me. "Unless you opened it already."

"No, I haven't opened it yet..I..I didn't want to ruin it.." I said, looking away. He handed it to me and laughed quietly.

"Here. And this time, I promise I won't throw it at you."

I opened the box up and couldn't believe what I saw. It was a ring, silver, nothing special. It was just a silver band ring, with mine and Kakashi's names engraved on the inside.

"It's a promise ring." he said, looking me in the eye.

I shook my head and sighed. "I..I don't know what to say..it's..it's beautiful.." I said, looking at the ring. He took it and put it on my finger and looked at me.

"Yeah..it is beautiful, isn't it?" he said before pulling me into a hug.


	10. Chapter 10: The Hitching Post?

A/N: Okay, am I seriously putting up chapters for no one to read, or is someone actually reading this? Because I'm on here almost everyday, or at least I try to be, and I have the same number of reviews and the same number of hits. If no one is reading this, **I will delete the story. **I'm not putting this story up here just for my own satisfaction, I'm putting this up here because I want people to know that my stories are good and readable. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside if I see that something on my statistics page has changed because I love this story so much. Remember, Kakashi is my favourite character. :) Well, if I don't see a change, I won't update and I'll delete the story. Simple as that.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Oh, and I didn't want Sasuke in this chapter..I didn't think he'd contribute much. And another thing; my knee gave out on me and its kinda popped out of whack, which gives me more time to work on my stories. What about that..

Listening to: Re:member by Flow. Also known as the eighth opening of Naruto.

* * *

Chapter Ten: The Hitching Post?

Sakura sighed for what seemed like the millionth time that morning. She, as well as Naruto, arrived at the meeting point before the deadline, like always. Sasuke was off training by himself. But somehow, she thought today would be different. She thought that today, her sensei would be early for once. And yet, despite her thoughts, it was thirty seconds before the deadline and he hadn't shown up when she last checked her pocket watch.

_29...28...27...26--_

"Hello all! Looks like I'm at bit early today. Surprise, surprise." Kakashi said as he entered in a puff of smoke.

"Kakashi-sensei is early today!...There has to be something wrong then." Naruto said, jumping up. Kakashi gave a smile, even though he knew it wouldn't be visible.

"Yeah..uhm. I need your guys' help for something." he said, leaning up against the bridge they'd always met on.

"You mean I came here for helping you and not TRAINING?! AGH! What a waste." Naruto exclaimed, turning his back on Kakashi and Sakura.

"Well, if it makes you that angry, Naruto. You can think of it as a mission. It might be low-ranked but you never know what fate has in store for you."

"A mission?!"

"Yes, I need you to help me find something."

"It's not that mission where we have to capture that stupid cat again, is it?" Naruto said, making a face and turning around.

"No, it's more important." Kakashi said, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"What do you want us to find?" Sakura asked.

Kakashi paused before he said it. If Naruto and Sakura only knew what he was about to say, they probably would have prepared themselves better.

"A ring." he said simply.

"...A...ring?" Naruto and Sakura repeated, looking confused.

Kakashi sighed. "You guys are repeating me. Yes, a ring."

"For who?" Naruto asked.

"Who do you THINK it's for, you idiot." Sakura huffed, pushing Naruto away. "Wait, Kakashi-sensei. If you want a ring, then...does this mean..?" She trailed off, not wanting to say the last part.

"Yes, soon enough, but I just want to ask the question right now."

"Wha..soon enough? Question? I'm confused." Naruto said, scratching his head.

"It sure shows.." Sakura said under her breath, then sighed. "Naruto, think. If you get a ring and ask a question, what does it most likely lead to?"

Naruto paused, thinking. "OH!! I KNOW NOW! KAKASHI-SENSEI IS GETTING MARRIED!" he screamed. Kakashi put a hand to his head as if to say, "Smart move."

"Yes, Naruto. I gave her the promise ring last week when it was her birthday. She liked the presents by the way. We put Naruto's on the wall in the bedroom; she's wearing Sakura's and she carries Sasuke's gift around with her in her weapon pocket. Oh, and Sakura?"

"Hm?"

Kakashi smiled underneath his mask like a little kid. "It looks good on her."

Sakura narrowed her eyes. "Kakashi-sensei!" she raised up her fist in order to punch him. He held his hands up in defense.

"Okay, okay. Sorry. Well anyway, we'd better get going. I heard there's a jeweler in Tanzaku Town."

* * *

**--Tanzaku Town--**

"Ugh, it sure takes a while to get here..." Sakura said, almost out of breath.

"Yeah.."

"Alright, we'll search around.." Kakashi said, looking around.

* * *

--**After a few hours of searching...--**

"Okay, guys, I found the perfect ring. I think we can go home now." Kakashi said, placing the small box in his pocket. But, not for long.

"Kakashi-sensei, we wanna see!" Naruto said on his tiptoes in an attempt to see the ring. Kakashi sighed.

"Okay, just be careful with it. Mine is in there as well, so just--"

"Hey, kid. That's a nice ring you got there. Mind if I take a look?" A man said, snatching the ring from Naruto and running away with it in the opposite direction. The other man beside him kicked Kakashi up in the air and flew off with the other man.

"K..Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto yelled, running and catching his sensei when he landed.

"Th..Thanks, Naruto..But..we have to..find the ring.." Kakashi said, catching his breath. He growled inwardly.

"You're right..we have to go after them." Sakura said, looking in the direction the men had ran off to.

"Might as well."

* * *

A/N: I'm really sorry this chapter is so short, but I wanted to end it right here. And I wanted to add to the 'dramatic effect' to the story, per se. But, please review if you don't want the story deleted!


	11. Chapter 11: Miracles & The Proposal

A/N: Wow. Chapter eleven. I can't believe I made it this far with this story. I'd like to thank everyone who has reviewed and read this. It means a lot to me as an inspiring writer.

**-This is a answer to a question about the Awakening Jutsu. The Awakening Jutsu is similar to Guy and Lee's 'Forbidden' techniques. Even though it is pretty awesome, it puts a lot of strain on the body. If you read the intro in the first chapter, Akara was the only one to complete all four stages and live. The jutsu gives the user incredible amounts of chakra, strength, agility, speed, and anything else you could possibly think of. But if not on close watch, the user could die. (By the way, its something I made up by myself so don't go searching around for it. :D)-**

To anyone else who has a question they'd like to ask, feel free to private message me or ask in a review! The stupid question is the question not asked! And sorry the story ends to abruptly and that it's short, I wanted to end it where it was.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

Chapter Eleven: Miracles & The Proposal

"Alright Naruto. You and Sakura will go that way, and I'll go the opposite. I'm giving you these wireless devices; Be sure to stay in wireless range. If you see anyone strangely, or if you see the actual person that had the ring, attack them with caution. If it leads to something dangerous, just radio in and I'll be there," Kakashi said, handing Naruto and Sakura a wireless device. "One more thing." he said, looking down at his feet. "I've waited for this day to come. Just...be careful." he said before flying off.

"Right." Sakura and Naruto said before flying off as well.

* * *

**--Somewhere along the outskirts of Tanzaku Town..--**

"Man, I'm not having any luck at all...ugh." Sakura said before sitting down on the ground due to exhaustion.

"Sakura, get up." Naruto said fierecly.

"Naruto, I ought to pound your head in for speaking to--"

"Sakura. Did you hear Kakashi-sensei? He's been waiting his whole life for this. There isn't time to fool around. This is his only shot and you and I both know he won't be able to afford another ring. Besides, it was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen..besides you." he said, then bursting out into a fit of laughter. Sakura's fists clenched.

"Naruto, I'll let it slide for this one time. But if you pull anything else on me, I swear I'll have you--"

"Sakura, look!" Naruto said, pointing to two men on the ground with a small box. Sakura glanced over.

"Should I radio in for Kakashi-sensei? They look pretty...mean." she said, almost shuddering at the thought of fighting those two.

"Yeah."

Sakura fiddled with her wireless device for a moment before she finally got a signal.

"Kakashi-sensei, we have two men with a small box a few meters away from us. They look pretty tough."

"Alright, I'm on my way." Kakashi replied, giving a determined look at the trees. "This time..it'll be different..I promise, Kara." he said, then flying off.

"Hello little girl. Wanna come out and join us? You sure look like you'd put on a fine show." A man said, suddenly appearing behind Sakura.

"Yeah, she'd make good entertainment."

"Ugh, No way! Place a hand on her and I'll smash you to bits!" Naruto yelled, jamming his fists in the air.

"You wanna bet on that, brat?" one man asked.

"I sure do," Naruto said, making a hand sign. "Shadow Clone Jut--"

"I think you're a little out of your league for him, wouldn't you say?" Kakashi said, suddenly appearing behind Naruto.

"Kakashi-sensei.." Naruto breathed, relieved that his sensei was there.

"Naruto, Sakura. Go get the ring. I'll take care of these two." Kakashi said, lifting his headband to reveal the Sharingan.

"Hmm. Getting married? Or just proposing?" the man asked. Kakashi kept still. He knew better than to answer.

"You know, that ring is worth a lot of money. Better to be rich than to live with someone who is going to eventually die. You'd be better off alone." the other man said.

Alone. One single word, an adjective that meant so many things. It could haunt you, it could betray you. It could never be your best friend. If it's being alone, Kakashi knew all about it. Alone was the job and for the past years Kakashi was its employee.

"This time is different...I made a promise." Kakashi said to himself, getting angrier by the minute.

The two men could see hate in Kakashi's eyes and stepped back.

"Alright, we're sorry, you can have the ring.." the two said at once.

"But I wasn't finished yet." Kakashi said, placing his left hand on his right shoulder, causing Lightning Blade to form. He charged at the two, killing them. "That's for taking my wife's dream." he said, then walking off.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto said, throwing the box at Kakashi, who caught it.

"Let's go home."

* * *

**--The Next Day, The Apartment; Lunchtime--**

"So, how was your mission yesterday?" I asked Kakashi, making him lunch.

"Oh, it was fine. Sorry I didn't come home yesterday, it took me a day to get back." Kakashi lied. I sighed.

"It's..fine. I just missed you, that's all. But anyway, you're here now. So no reason to sulk." I smiled. Then there was a knock on the door.

"I'll get it." Kakashi said, getting up and answering the door. It was Naruto and Sakura. Yet again. Sasuke was out somewhere.

"Have you asked her yet, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked with a smile on his face.

"Asked me what?" I said, coming over.

"Oh, uhm if Naruto and Sakura could join us for lunch. They went with me on the mission yesterday, and they're probably hungry. Right guys?" Kakashi lied again.

"Oh, yeah. Starving. If it isn't too much trouble that is." Sakura said, doubling over and holding her stomach for effect.

"Oh sure. No problem." I said, making them some lunch.

"Thanks." Naruto and Sakura said, walking over and sitting on the table.

"So, what was the mission about anyway? It took you guys so long to get back, it must have been important." I said, making them some sandwiches.

"Oh, yeah. We had to escort someone again." Naruto said, rolling his eyes.

"Oh wow. Where's Sasuke? I figured he might have joined in as well." I asked.

"He's off somewhere training by himself. Ever since the Chunin exams he's been...well..detatched, lately." Sakura said, sighing.

(A/N: Yeah I had to skip a few things, but this from now on is taking place after the Chunin exams and Orochimaru's attack on Konoha.)

"Hm. Typical." I said, setting Sakura's and Naruto's plates in front of them.

"Anything else you guys need?" I asked.

"I do." Kakashi said. I turned around.

"What? I already made you some lunch..You still hungry?" I asked, smiling.

"Well..." he said, walking over to me. He handed me some roses out of no where.

"What's this for?" I asked, staring at the flowers.

"Kara," he said, getting down on one knee and opening a small box. "Will you marry me?"


	12. Chapter 12: Having A Future

A/N: It's definitely overwhelming to see how many hits my other stories are getting. 'Escaping Reality' and 'Cut From The Same Cloth' are neck in neck with hits. One is almost one hit behind the other. I want to thank everyone for reading my stories. Again, I know I've said this about a million times, but it means a lot to me. I hope this story is good as well. I hope you guys like it because I enjoy writing it. This chapter reminds me of the first chapter for some reason...oh well. Please review!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Listening To: I'm Gone, I'm Going by Lesley Roy. I LOVE this song. :D

Side note: Happy birthday to me. :D 08/06/2008

* * *

Chapter Twelve: Having A Future

_"Run baby run, don't ever look back. They'll tear us apart if you give them the chance.."_

_-Check Yes Juliet; We The Kings_

"Kara...will you marry me?" he repeated again. I just stared at him, taking it all in. I'd never dreamed in all my life Kakashi would propose to me. It was out of character, maybe, but still, he was doing it and I was on the receiving end.

"Kara?" he asked again. I shook my head, trying to calm myself down. I held back tears that were trying to escape. I didn't want everyone to see me cry like this. It was overwhelming. I couldn't believe it.

"Yes.." I whispered, almost inaudible. I saw his mask move, probably indictacting that he was smiling. He got up from his kneeling position and put the ring on my finger as he wraped his strong arms around me and hugged me.

"Thank you." he whispered. I nodded, almost starting to cry.

"Hey Sakura, wanna get married?" Naruto asked, a huge smile spread across his face.

"Ooh, Naruto, you idiot!" Sakura said, connecting her fist with Naruto's head, making him hit the table head first, also into his lunch that was previously.

I pointed to the table and Kakashi laughed.

"Guys, I'd hate to buy a new table...it'd be much appreciated if you didn't break it, Sakura." Kakashi said, taking me to the table and sitting down.

"Wait, is this why you guys are here? You had something to do in this?" I asked Naruto and Sakura, who only nodded.

"Yeah, Kakashi-sensei didn't have a mission. He just took us to Tanzaku Town to get the ring and then we came back.."

"Although we ran into some trouble along the way..." Kakashi trailed off, looking around.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well, someone stole the ring..and it took us about forever and a day to find it. But we got it back. Obviously."

"Someone stole the ring." I repeated.

Kakashi nodded. I sighed.

"Well, what can you expect from Kakashi, hm?" I said, coming over to him and ruffling his hair up. He laughed.

* * *

**--A few hours later--**

I saw down on the couch, reading some things in an old notebook when Kakashi entered the living room.

Very ungracefully.

I noticed he had tripped and immediately got up. "Are you okay?" I asked, trying my best to sound serious, even when it was hilarious. He got up and brushed himself off.

"Yeah..thanks for laughing.." he said, punching me playfully on the arm. I blushed.

"Sorry, it was funny. I've never saw you trip before.." I said, returning back to the couch and writing some more things down.

"What are you writing?" he asked, sitting down and peering over as he took off his vest and mask. I shut the book and placed it aside.

"Nothing." I said simply. "I was...reading something."

"Reading...?"

"Nothing." I repeated again.

"Reading nothing doesn't sound like much fun," he whispered in my ear. I felt myself tense up and look away. "You can tell me." he said, making circles on my shoulder. I leaned over and handed him the notebook.

"Giving into temptation.." I muttered, watching him look at the outside.

"Is this your handwriting? It doesn't look like it." he said, pointing toward the chickenscratch excuse of handwriting on the front.

"It is, but it's not recent..I've had it with me for years," I said, pointing to a pocket inside my vest I still wore. "It's been in here ever since I finished it."

"It's your diary..I don't want to read it if it's personal." he said, making a notion to sit the book down.

"It doesn't bother me."

"Are you sure?" he asked, placing his arm around me to bring me closer. I nodded against him.

He opened it and began to read. "This is...old."

"Twenty-some years."

He flipped through some pages and found an interesting title and began to read. "Future plans, ne? This was around when you..." he trailed off.

"..First met you, yeah. When we were both in the academy..a few weeks before I moved." I said.

It grew silent for a moment.

"...you.." he started, eyes fixated on one line in the page.

I followed his gaze and jerked the book out of his hands. "I'm s-sorry..you...never mind, I shouldn't have had that out anyway.." I chuckled nervously and put the book aside. He picked it up again and continued reading on the same page.

I groaned and put my head in my hands.

"_Dear Diary," _he started reading aloud. I looked at the date, remembering it. It was the day I'd first met Kakashi. "_This boy saved my life today..his name..I can't remember it..oh, Kakashi. That was it. I fell out of the tree and he was there to look over me..I hope I meet him again and get to know him." _he turned to a separate page, a few years later from the other entry. Probably when I first moved.

"_Dear diary..if these pages are hard to read to anyone who is reading this, it's because they are soaked with tears..I moved away today. Away from everyone I befriended, away from Konoha, away from my future. But there is one thing I miss on top of everything else. I haven't mentioned him in a while, only because I haven't saw him. Kakashi. I miss him. I don't know why. It just seems like he is the only one I could connect with around the village. And he saved my life, after all. You don't forget someone who saves your life. It bothers me a lot though, because I think," _he paused before continuing and looked over at me, probably memorizing the sentence he was about to say. "_I think I fell in love with him."_ he said, simply setting the book down again. I stared at him stupidly, whether or not to take it as a compliment or an insult.

"Kara..I want you to know.." he trailed off, looking away yet again.

"What, Kakashi?" I asked, my voice cracking, knowing it was probably the first and last time I'd ever be sad and say his name in a sentence.

"I felt the same way," he said quickly. "I just didn't tell you. Not right away when we first met, but after I got to know you." he said, scratching the back of his head and smiling. I sighed, feeling like crying but I didn't. He pulled me closer, as done previously.

"We have a lot to plan," I said, snuggling up against him. "When do you want to have...the wedding?" I paused for a bit.

"In a few months or so. Or whenever you want to have it, it doesn't matter to me." he said, rubbing my back.

"I can't believe I'm getting married..." I whispered, probably lower than the human ear could pick up.

"I can't believe I am either." he said, kissing my forehead as we drifted off to sleep.

* * *

A/N: The next chapter will be...er..something surprising. :D Please review!


	13. Chapter 13: Surprises

A/N: Wow. I can't believe I'm putting the next chapter up. And I put the last chapter up not too long ago. On the same day. I just got bored and wanted to write another chapter for some reason. And I didn't want to leave you guys hanging. So..yeah. :D Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Never have, never did, never will. Sadly. You know what I do own? A plushie Kakashi doll. :D Haha! You know what else? The doll is intimidating. It just stares at you...It could probably kill you with its merciless glare. :l ...okay, enough with my stupidity and on with the story. It's rather long, by the way.

Listening To: Anyway You Want It by Journey.

Side note: Happy Birthday to me. :D 08/06/2008

* * *

Chapter Thirteen: Surprises

--**A Few Weeks Later..--**

I woke up, yawning and stretching out to hug the body beside of me. I opened my eyes and felt nothing but sheets and covers, a scroll and a piece of paper. I blinked a couple of times and looked around for Kakashi, who wasn't there. I frowned and looked at the paper.

_"Dear Kara,_

_Sorry I had to leave you so early, I had a mission to go on, it was important, a A-Ranked with some other jonin. I apologize for not being there to hug you when you woke up," _I felt myself smile and continue reading. "_I'll be there as soon as I get back. I promise._

_Love,_

_Kakashi."_

I sighed and took ahold of the scroll, opening it and looking at it.

"Person...?" I blinked. "Crap! Reverse summoning!" I threw the scroll aside and grabbed a kunai for protection. I sighed again when I saw who it was.

"Hi Kara-sensei." Sakura said upon arrival. "I didn't think you woke up this late." she said, smiling. I put down the knife and shrugged.

"Slept in," I looked around and eyed the dinner table. "Did you fix that?" I said, pointing to the table filled with food. She huffed.

"No, Kakashi-sensei did. Gave me a list of things for you and I to do. Also what he wants you to wear...I didn't think Kakashi-sensei was demanding.." she added softly, pulling out a piece of paper and pointing to an outfit laid across the dresser. Sakura knew what was going on and silently congratulated herself for being such a skilled shinobi in the lying department.

"Yeahhh...Uh..Why?" I asked dumbly.

After all, it was morning.

"Oh, sorry. I'm not much of a morning person." I said, shrugging and struggling to get up.

"I have no idea. Well, you'd better get going and get ready. We have a lot to do." she said, shaking the list for effect. I sighed and got up, going toward the bathroom.

"Might as well."

* * *

**--Six Hours Later--**

"Sakura," I said breathlessly. "Can I go home now? I'm tired." I said, almost wanting to sit down on the dirt road. She shook her head.

"Turn around," she ordered. "Close your eyes."

I did as I was told and opened my eyes, my eyes only to be covered by a piece of cloth. I felt her strong grip around my wrist and started leading me forward.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"You'll see." she said simply and pulled on my arm again.

* * *

**--The Academy--**

"Sakura!" I exclaimed as she put something over me. It felt silky, and I had no idea what it was.

"Hold still, Kara-sensei." she said angrily and swatted my hands away. She took ahold of my hair and started to do something with it. It felt like she was curling it, but I had no idea.

After all, I'm still blindfolded for Kami's sake.

After a few minutes, she stopped and sighed.

"Kara-sensei, please don't be mad at me." she said, taking the blindfold off and leading me to a mirror.

"Why would I...oh..my.." I trailed off, looking at myself. My brown hair was curled and pinned back into a clip. I wore a blue dress, kind of long, but not that it hit the floor. "I'm getting married, aren't I?" I asked, in shock. She nodded.

"I thought you'd be mad." she said, wiping tears from her eyes. I knelt down and hugged her.

"I wouldn't be mad..it's just a shock. Although, it does seem something like Kakashi would do, after all. Surprises come with him everyday, so it seems." I said, standing up and making a once-over of my physical appearance.

There was a long pause and no one said anything.

"I'm getting married." I said to myself.

Sakura smiled. "You're getting married." she said and handed me a bouquet of flowers. "Oh, the wedding isn't here." she said abruptly.

"Where is it then?" I asked, wondering how I could walk in high heeled shoes.

Whoever made them is crazy.

Seriously.

She smiled brightly. "You'll see."

* * *

--**The Forest, A Large Clearing--**

"Sakura, do you know what this is?" I said softly, hiding behind a tree. She nodded.

"Kakashi-sensei told me. It's where you and him first met again." she said. I nodded in agreement.

"I should have known he'd choose this place." I said to myself. I saw almost all of Konoha's shinobi in chairs in the forest. How they got everyone and everything here was beyond my understanding. I saw Tsunade in front of a podium and nodded in my direction. I looked shocked. Was she nodding at me?

Sakura nodded back and grabbed my hand. "I know I'm not the person who needs to walk you down the aisle, so someone else is going to do it for you." she said, disappearing suddenly. Then someone tapped my shoulder as I turned around.

"Hello Kara-sensei!" Naruto yelled and hugged me.

"Oh gosh, I should have known it was you!" I said, hugging back.

"Alright, Kara-sensei." he said, joining my arm in his as we walked down the aisle. My hands were shaking, I was totally nervous. But all those reactions stopped when I saw Kakashi in a tuxedo, mask still on. I felt Naruto leave me as I was standing before Kakashi, who took my hands in his and smiled through his mask.

The band, again, however they got there is beyond me, slowed the music into a decrescendo and stopped. Tsunade got up from her seat and took her place at the podium before Kakashi and I.

"You look beautiful." he whispered.

"You do too." I said, forcing to suppress my laughter.

Tsunade cleared her throat and began.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join together Akara Takeuchi and Kakashi Hatake in holy matrimony." she paused before continuing and smiled at each of us.

"Who brings Akara to be married to Kakashi?"

Naruto stood up.

"Team seven does!" he said, laughing. Tsunade laughed herself and Iruka stood up.

"Friends gathered here today upon both of Akara and Kakashi's behalf do." he said before taking his seat. Tsunade nodded and began again.

"Marriage is a covenant of faith that can go through everything. Marriage is a covenant of faith in which both husband and wife should endure, in which both husband and wife should strive to fulfill each other goals and dreams."

_'Though I speak with the tongues of men and angels, and have not charity, I am become as a sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbol. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not, charity caunteth not itself, is not puffed up. Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil. Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall pass away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which perfect is come, then that which is in part sjall be done away. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away all childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then I shall know even as also I am known. And now abideth faith, hope, and charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.'_ -- 1 Corinthians 13:1-13. (A/N: Charity in the verses refers to the word 'love'. And no, Tsunade did not speak this, I just put this in here because I wanted to.)

She turned. "Exchange vows."

I froze. I had no vows. I had written no vows. I hadn't thought of any vows. Oh great. It's my wedding and I have no vows! So, I went with my brain and said what was on my heart at the time.

"Kakashi, when I first met you, I didn't know what to think. I thought you were like everyone else, who didn't understand me. In time, you proved me wrong. When I moved away, I realized my true feelings for you, and now that I'm back, I am happy to be where I am now. I never thought of you as Sharingan Kakashi, or Kakashi the Copy Ninja, I thought of you as someone else, whose dreams and feelings were left unfulfilled and needed someone there. I realize now that I am happy to be that person to fulfill your dreams. I am happy to be that person when you need me. And I love you." I said, blushing.

He nodded.

"Kara, (A/N: Oh how I wanted to put 'Lexie' right there! OH MAN. This killed me..-dies- oh well.) You and I both know the position we're in. I'm sure everyone here knows that I'm not exactly good with words.." This earned a soft laughter from the audience. "When I first met you, I knew you were different. I thought that you were someone who didn't understand me as well. I knew that if I had ever met you again, I'd be too afraid to tell you my feelings. When you moved away, I felt like a part of me was gone. Needless to say, finding you in the forest was pretty funny. But I'm glad that we're here again, and that we're together, and I love you."

I smiled. I wanted to cry.

She gave the necessary pause before continuing and turned to Kakashi.

"Do you, Kakashi, take Akara to be your wedded wife, to have and to hold, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in wealth, to love and to cherish, as long as you both shall live?"

"I do."

My hands were shaking. This is it.

"Do you, Akara, take Kakashi to be your wedded husband, to have and to hold, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in wealth, to love and to cherish, as long as you both shall live?"

I closed my eyes and swallowed hard.

"I do."

"Have you brought tokens as signs of love and commitment?"

I looked at Kakashi, who nodded. "We have."

Guy got up and handed Tsunade the rings.

"With this ring I thee wed. Akara, please wear it as a sign of our lifelong commitment."

"With this ring I thee wed. Kakashi, please wear it as a sign of our lifelong commitment."

"Kakashi and Akara, you have vowed your love in holy matrimony and presented your love with the exchanging of vows and rings. I now pronounce you as husband and wife. Kakashi, you may kiss the bride."

"C'MON KAKASHI-SENSEI! KISS HER LIKE YOU MEAN IT!" Naruto yelled, earning him a slap on the head from Sakura.

Nice one, Naruto.

I placed my hand in front of Kakashi and pulled his mask down, blocking his face for everyone's public viewing. He took me into a deep, passionate kiss and then released me.

Tsunade nodded.

"Let me be the first to announce you Mr. and Mrs. Kakashi Hatake."

I smiled, proud to take Kakashi's last name into my heritage.

* * *

**--****The Reception; At The Academy--**

"You know what I forgot to teach you?" I asked Kakashi, who stood in the hallway, admiring the decorations on the halls of the academy. There were chairs with blue slip covers, the tables had blue tablecloths and the walls were hung with streamers and balloons. Also blue.

He snapped back into reality. "What?" he asked, putting his arms around me.

"How to dance." I smirked, nuzzling into his chest.

"Hey..I can dance."

"We'll just see, won't we?" I said, heading for a table and sitting down. He shook his head and followed suit. Everyone started heading in and sitting down. As I guessed, Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke sat down at the table beside of us. I noticed that the drinks weren't filled with wine or sake, but with grape juice.

"I wasn't much of a drinker anyway.." I muttered to myself.

"Me either. I didn't think you were. Plus, there are kids here. I only gave sake to those who wanted it or needed it. Such as Tsunade.." he said, gesturing toward our Hokage who was chatting alongside some other jonin and chunin. I rolled my eyes. Typical Tsunade. Then, there was a tap on the glass. I looked over and saw Sakura stand up.

"I know I'm not the person who Kara-sensei wants to hear this from, so I made a few adjustments." she said, waving her hand toward someone in the back. Two men followed out with a television and an old tape. They put the tape in as I read the date. It was two years before my parents' passed.

"What is this doing here?" I asked as my parents popped up on the screen. I heard some gasps and people whispering as they started to speak.

_"Akara. The time has come. If you're watching this, you're probably at your wedding, which this is intended for," _my mom said, appearing on the screen.

"Mom..." I whispered, grabbing ahold of Kakashi's hand.

"_We made this in order to have a speech at your wedding, even if we were already gone. We both wish you the best with your wedding and hope you got married to the man you wanted to. Which was Kakashi, as we all know. We wish you the best as once before said. You both deserve each other and the happiness and love that is to come." _my mom said before disappearing. Now it was my dad's turn to pop up and say something.

"_Akara. Like your mom said, you're probably at your wedding watching this, which is why we made it. You know, I wasn't good with camera's so it was your mom's idea. You're a good girl, Kara. I wish you the best and the happiness that comes. I hope you both live life to its' fullest and I hope you guys take care of our grandchildren. We love you both. Even you, Kakashi."_

The screen went blank and static as they turned the TV off. Kakashi laid a hand on my shoulder in comfort. I heard another tap on the glass and looked toward Tsunade.

"Akara, we wanted to show that to you because it was your parents' doing. I guess it's my turn to give a speech now.." she paused before continuing. "I noticed Akara's potential for medicine very early. She wasn't much younger than the brats of team seven," she gestured toward Naruto, who stood up but was forced back down by Sakura. "Like your father said, Akara. You have a lot ahead of you and you're a good girl. I wish Kakashi and you the best. Especially Kakashi, who has to put up with you." she said, taking a sip from her glass before sitting down. I laughed, wondering if I was that big of a problem or not.

Then another tap on a glass. I looked toward Guy.

Kakashi hid his head. "Does he have to?" he asked. I smiled and nodded.

Guy stood up and took his glass in hand. "Kakashi, you and I have been Eternal Rivals for almost eternity, and now that you're married, you have something on me. I noticed that when Kakashi had been acting strange ever since Akara left, there was something wrong. I thought everyone noticed, but maybe it was just me. Kakashi's actions toward everyone became to be more and more secluded. But when Akara came back, he was different. Things changed. I've known Kakashi for almost all of my life and I know that things will be good for him this time around. I know that these two are going to be eternally happy. It's just not going to beat the eternal rivalry, though." he said, smiling and taking a sip from his drink. Everyone followed suit.

A few minutes passed when the band was interrupted and Tsunade came up on stage.

"First dance as husband and wife." she smirked, then the band began to play a song. The piano and guitar were introduced. The male singer took his place on the stage and began to sing.

"_Every time our eyes meet...this feeling inside me...is almost more than I can take.."_

Kakashi gave a nervous look toward me. I smiled. "Just follow me."

He nodded and took my hands in his, pulling our bodies closer as I laid my head on his shoulder. I stepped aside slowly, then backward. He successfully stepped on my foot.

"Sorry." he whispered.

"It's okay. Wanna know something?" I whispered back.

"Hm?" he nodded.

"I can't dance either." I said, stepping back, then aside.

"You're doing a good job for someone who can't dance." he said, following his steps with me. I stepped across, frontward, then aside again. I ceased the stepping aside and we swayed side by side.

"You are too." I whispered, closing my eyes, taking it all in.

"_Baby when you touch me..I can tell how much you love me..and it just blows me away..I've never been this close to anyone..or anything. I can hear your thoughts..I can see your dreams.."_

"I like this song." I whispered. He nodded.

"I do too." he whispered back.

"_I don't know how you do what you do..I'm so in love with you..It just keeps getting better..I want to spend the rest of my life, with you by my side..forever and ever...every little thing that you do, baby I'm amazed by you."_

"I was thinking," I started, shifting so I could look him in the eyes.

"About?"

"Moving in."

"You are moved in."

"Not..really...most of my stuff isn't there, and I hate paying for rent on an apartment I don't live at anymore." I said, averting my gaze.

"Well, I'd be glad to have you move in again." he said, smiling. I smiled back and placed my head on his shoulder again.

"_The smell of your skin..the taste of your kiss..the way you whisper in the dark..Your hair all around me, baby you surround me..You touch every place in my heart..Oh it feels like the first time, every time..I want to spend the whole night..in your eyes.."_

"Kakashi!" I whispered, playfully smacking him on the shoulder.

"What?" he asked, probably taking notice as quick as I did.

"Did I hear what I think I just heard?" I asked, cocking an eyebrow.

He grinned from ear to ear. "Maybe."

I shook my head, that line still stuck in my head.

"Don't worry. I won't do anything you don't want to." he whispered, his hands holding me against him on the small of my back, making circles.

I growled. "As long as I'm with you, it doesn't matter." I said, knowing I had smiled. I got an idea all of a sudden, but I was afraid to ask. "How many women have you been with?" I whispered quietly. I honestly thought he was going to pull me away from him and slap me, but he didn't. Instad, he pulled my closer against him and laughed softly.

"Just you." he said, still laughing. I felt myself blush, mentally kicking myself for having such a thought. "And you? I sure hope not with women." he said, making a face...well, his visible eye went into a disgusting look.

"Just you." I repeated, looking up at him.

"Good," he said, pulling me closer again. "And don't worry, I'm not offended." he whispered, nuzzling into me. As if he could read my mind.

"_I don't know who you do what you do...I'm so in love with you..it just keeps getting better..I want to spend the rest of my life with you by my side..forever and ever.." _I sang softly, closing my eyes. He turned his head and finished the sentence.

"_Every little thing that you do..baby I'm amazed by you."_

The song ended and Kakashi and I returned to our seats, hand in hand.

After a few minutes, Tsunade got up on stage again.

"Don't tell me I have to dance again." I mumbled, pulling my shoes off and laying them aside.

"Time to cut the cake, children!" she yelled, running toward the cake. I shook my head and made a face toward Kakashi, who just shrugged.

"Akara, Kakashi. Would you do the honors?" someone asked from the crowd. I grabbed the knife and cut a piece for Kakashi and I, putting it on a plate. He grinned at me and smirked.

"Where's your piece?" he said, returning to our table.

I smiled. "I thought we could share," I looked over. "Besides, we have to feed each other." I said, a small blush returning on my face. Then Jiraiya came over just as I was about to pinch off a piece of cake for Kakashi.

"So, Kakashi. Kara. Where are you guys going for your honeymoon?"

Honeymoon.

I hadn't even thought about that.

"We..well, I have somewhere planned." Kakashi said, smiling through his mask. I cocked an eyebrow at him.

"Ah, she doesn't know?"

I shook my head. "Not until now." I said, looking away.

"Nice, Kakashi. That's what getting my books have in store for you. Make sure you buy the newest one, or take one with you. Heck, take all of them!" he said, grinning.

"I'll be sure to." Kakashi said.

"Congrats." Jiraiya said before leaving to Tsunade.

"I'll be darned well if you take any of that on our honeymoon that I just now found out about." I said, pinching off a piece of cake.

"It might help." he said, smiling. My eyes narrowed. "Okay okay..." he said, pulling down his mask so I could feed him. I looked around to see if anyone was looking. I bypassed my fork and placed it in his mouth. After he was done, he took my hand and kissed it.

"It's good." he said, pulling my chair closer to him. He pinched off a piece for me and fed it to me. I nodded.

"It is good." I said, smiling.

Another hour or so passed and Kakashi reached down under the table.

"I have something for you..a..wedding gift...Guy told me I should get you a gift, so I did..only it wasn't bought." he said, handing me a box. I reached into my purse and pulled out a box, slightly larger.

"Well, I got you this too...I think it doesn't compare..but I hope you like it anyway.."

"Whatever it is, I'm sure I'll--" He gasped when he saw it. "Kara..this..this is.."

"The Takeuchi clan's robe..my father wore it." I said, smiling. "There's something else in there as well." He shuffled around until he found it and smiled.

"No way." he said simply, smiling.

"Way."

"This is the revised, uncut edition of Make-Out Paradise," he flipped it over. "The other two are in here as well. Oh my." he said, looking at them and flipping through the pages and smiled. "Thank you." he said, leaning over to give me a hug and gave me a kiss on the cheek. "Open yours."

I opened it slowly and gasped when I saw it, doing the same thing Kakashi did.

"Kakashi..this is..your..fathers'.." my eyes widened. He nodded.

"I want you to have it."

"It's the...white chakra sword..." I said aloud, trying to make my mind comprehend what was going on.

"The White Fang's." he whispered, looking away. I shook my head.

"Kakashi..it..this..it means..a lot to me..thank you." I said, leaning over to hug him. I felt him smile and wrap his arms around me. Then Genma and Iruka came over.

"Hm, we'll take this to your house if its' alright. Maybe while you guys are on your honeymoon." Genma said, reaching for the presents.

"Be careful!" Kakashi and I said at once. Genma smirked.

"Do you not trust me?" he asked, faking to sound concerned.

"No." Kakashi and I said again. Genma frowned. Iruka laughed.

"I'll make sure they get home in one piece. Promise." he said, smiling. "Where are you guys' going on your honeymoon?" he asked, sitting down beside of Kakashi, who looked at me. I was half-asleep.

"It's a secret," he said, looking down. Then he whispered something to Iruka, who smiled. I sat up, rubbing my eyes, attempting not to go to sleep on everyone here.

"That's a nice place. She'll like that a lot." Iruka said, getting up and sighing. "I wish you guys the best. Congrats." he said before leaving.

"Kakashi.." I said, burying my head in his chest.

"Hm?"

"Can we leave now? I'm tired." I said, my sound muffled. He nodded and laughed.

"Sure." he said, placing a hand under my knees and under my torso.

Bridal style.

I smiled and fell asleep in his arms.

"Finally married." I whispered to myself.

"Finally married." he repeated, giving me a kiss on the forehead.

A/N: Wow, this chapter is fairly long...I made some last minute adjustments to the things Tsunade said at the wedding. I got some things off of the internet and **reworded **them because I've never been to a wedding before. At least, not a really fancy one. When I did, I didn't pay attention and I don't remember. :D Haha. The next chapter will probably be long as well, considering the honeymoon. I don't write anything rated Mature, because it makes me feel weird when I do. So, sorry to all of you perverted people who are looking for something. It'll be probably something fluffly and romatic, only because I'm a romantic sap. Look over me. Well, please review! Oh, and the "Love is patient, love is kind.." verse comes from the Bible. First Corinthians, If I'm thinking right. Please don't rant and rave about the verses from the Bible, I wanted this to be put in here. If you don't like it, just skip it and don't read it. It does come from a King James Version bible, non-Amplified. And the song in Italics is 'Amazed' by Lonestar.


	14. Chapter 14: Reminders

A/N: I can't explain to you guys how sorry I am for not updating. My nose has been stuck in the television because of the Olympics, and school started four days ago 08/21/08 for the beginning of my freshmen year in high school. I really am sorry for not updating, I've been SUPERLY busy and I've been worrying my head off about this year in school; but it turned out to be alright. After all, everyone dreads the first few days. If you know me outside of , you'd know that I have a obsession with Olympic Swimmer Michael Phelps and USA Gymnasts Shawn Johnson, Alicia Sacramone, and Johnathon Horton. Too bad the Olympics are over, though. :( No more Michael Phelps.. But anyway, I will try to update more. Scout's Honor. :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Listening To: You Are The One by Shiny Toy Guns.

* * *

Chapter Fourteen: Reminders

The sounds of Konoha's birds chirping, the warmness of the sun on my face, and Kakashi shaking me senseless woke me up from my deep slumber.

..Kakashi shaking me senseless?

"Kakashi!" I yelled, shooting straight up off the bed. "What are you doing?" I asked, eyes widened. He looked at me with a goofy grin and I couldn't help but laugh.

"Waking you up." he said, reaching out his hand to help me up. I looked at the silver band on his finger and couldn't help but smile again. Nothing really has changed, we've probably only grown closer. "We leave at nine." he said, snapping me out of my thoughts of happiness and content. I glanced at the clock. It was eight-thirty.

No wonder everyone has a grudge against Kakashi; he has poor sense of punctuality.

"IT'S EIGHT-THIRTY!" I exclaimed, jumping out of bed and running around like a chicken with its head cut off. Kakashi just stood there, staring at me weirdly. "Does it not bother you that we leave in thirty minutes and we aren't ready?" I asked, running into the bathroom.

"We? You aren't ready." he said with a small laugh and coming into the bathroom. "You're too cute sometimes, Kara." he said, giving me a kiss on the forehead. I watched him retreat and closed the door.

"Hmph. Men.." I said, closing and locking the door.

"I heard that!" he said, laughing.

* * *

**--Twenty-Five Minutes Later..--**

"You're really lucky we had five minutes to spare, Kakashi. The last thing I want to be is late on the day of our honeymoon." I called from the bedroom, freshening up. He stood at the doorway, watching for our ride.

"Looks like we aren't the only ones late.." he mumbled. "Are you re--Whoa." he said, his visible eye widening as I walked to where he stood, slipping on my shoes. "Is that the kimono Sakura gave you for your birthday?"

I cocked an eyebrow. "Yeah. Why?"

"It looks good on you." he said with a smile.

I raised my hand. "Oh, Kakashi. You bett--"

"Look! Our ride is here!" he exclaimed, running out the door and away from me. I rolled my eyes, grabbed my luggage and went outside. Our ride was a white carriage drawn by bulls. An older-like man stepped out and petted a bull on its head.

"You must be the Hatake couple, hm?" he said, smiling. I felt my heart flutter when he said 'Hatake couple' rather than just 'you two'. It felt nice.

"Yes, we are." Kakashi said, taking my luggage and hefting it onto the back of the carriage. Kakashi lifted his suitcase up as well and smiled at me.

"It's beautiful." I said, looking at the carriage.

"Yes, hand made as well. One of our most favored." the older man said, coming around. "It'll be a fairly long ride, so please, help yourselves and get comfortable. I'll take you to the man at the port, then he'll take you to our destination. And don't worry, the trip has been paid for."

"Thanks." Kakashi said, holding out his hand to help me into the carriage. We both took a seat on the fairly long (and comfortable) bench, with two pillows and a throw of some sort. Kakashi took his seat with his back against the frame and closed his eyes. After a few minutes or so, the man turned around and spoke softly, not wanting to wake Kakashi.

"If it isn't too much of a personal question, how long have you two known each other?"

I smiled. "A long time, since we were children. We married yesterday." I said, lowering my voice so I wouldn't wake Kakashi.

"Ah, honeymoon, I suppose?"

"Yes, only I found about it a little too late," I looked at Kakashi. "I guess he wanted to keep it a secret."

"Hm, yes. He told me not to tell you where we were going." he said with a laugh.

"That sounds like something he would do." I said. The old man turned back around and shook his head and laughed. Then he stopped and said that the bulls needed something to drink and eat.

"Huh?" Kakashi said, stirring awake and stretching.

"He's giving the bulls some food and water." I said, laying down beside of him.

"Ah." he said, closing his visible eye and returning to his sleep.

A few hours had passed, I felt myself being picked up and carried. I was semi-conscious, but I wanted to sleep, so I didn't dare stir. The air around me was more..fresh than Konoha's. It had a salty smell to it, and it was more clean.

"Kara, wake up.." Kakashi said, shaking me slightly. I groaned inwardly. I couldn't get a minute's worth of sleep around this place. I shook my head and shot up.

"Hm?" I asked, slightly disoriented.

"We're here," he said, putting his hands over my eyes. "But I don't want you to look until we get to the room."

"Room?" I repeated, waking up fully.

"At an Inn." he said, lifting me up. I nearly yelped at the sudden contact. "How much do I owe you?" Kakashi asked. I heard the man laugh at Kakashi's antics.

"Nothing; the trip has been paid for in full. As well as the trip back. You two enjoy your honeymoon." the man said, restarting the boat.

"Thanks," Kakashi said, waving. "Hm. Now to find the Inn." he said. I couldn't help the blush that appeared on my face. Not only because I've always dreamt of this, but I bet that the people on the street were giving Kakashi some odd looks and gestures. Probably being Kakashi, he didn't mind. I heard the bustling of the civillian town get quieter as Kakashi entered a building.

"May I help you?" a young woman's voice asked. The tone of her voice sounded slightly amused, but serious.

"We have a reservation."

"Name?"

"Kakashi and Akara Hatake." he said. I couldn't help but smile when he said our names together. Our names were like pieces in a puzzle that fit perfectly. One that you enjoy and never want to take apart and rework it.

"Ah, yes. Hatake," she said, picking up a set of keys. "Room 403. Here's your key! Oh and don't worry about your luggage, we'll have it up to you in a second." she said brightly. I couldn't help but roll my eyes. Some people are just too much sometimes.

"Thanks." he said simply, taking the keys. "Kara, there's an elevator." he said, the elevator dinging. I smiled again, wondering how much this had cost to put this all together, wondering if Kakashi and I had to pay for it when we returned to Konoha. I heard Kakashi put the key in the door, the clicking sound indictating that the door was open. Kakashi's breath hitched when he opened the door. I cocked an eyebrow, wondering if the room was that bad or not. Certainly we coudln't afford something extremely nice if it came out of our own pockets. Kakashi put me down and released his hand.

"Kara, you have to see this." he said. I opened my eyes.

Certainly, we could afford something this nice if it came out of our own pockets.

The room was huge. It had a circular bed with red bedspread and matching pillows. On the other side of the room was a stereo set, a bookcase, a tea and coffee maker, and a television. The matching bathroom was big also. It had a double sink and a standin shower and bathtub.

The balcony was something I wanted to see as well.

"Kara, look at this view." Kakashi said, motioning me over. I walked over beside him and leaned over. The view was breathtaking; there were trees and bushes in a forest. The mountains never seemed to end and the sun was high in the sky above some clouds. You could probably see forever. Down from the forest was a beach town of some sort, which intrigued me.

"Why is there a beach down th...oh."

Then it hit me. I knew where we were.

"Is something wrong?"

"No..I've just..been here before, that's all...But it has changed..certainly. This wasn't here when I came."

"You've been here?" he said, taking off his jacket and mask. I nodded and continued to look toward the beach.

"My parents..they..took me here when I was little..But I've only been here once, maybe twice if I was lucky. I don't remember much.." I said, taking off my jacket as well.

He sighed. "I wanted to take you somewhere you haven't been." he said, sitting on the bed. I walked over to him and smiled.

"Thank you for taking me here..I really missed this place a lot. My parents and I..we used to have a lot of fun here when we came. But so much has changed since then," I said, taking his hand and looking at our rings. "So much has changed."

He smiled. "Well. There's a festival in town." he said, pulling me down to sit beside of him. I perked up.

"Festival?" I asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Yeah, it's here for a while. Starts this weekend." he said. "We can go, if you'd like."

I smiled. "Well, I've never been to one before. But, I guess there's a first time for everything."

"I guess there is." he said, smiling. Then there was a knock on the door. Knowing it was probably our luggage and some cheap hotel welcoming gift thing, I went over to the coffee machine and made some coffee for Kakashi and I. I sat there, thinking if this was all a dream or not. It seemed so unreal, despite my hoping that this day would actually come. All of my life I'd dreamed of marrying someone like Kakashi, nevertheless Kakashi himself after I did meet him. I wasn't one to normally believe in soul mates, but when I'd met him on the playground that day, I knew I'd found mine.

"It's actually here.." I muttered, taking a drink from my coffee cup. Kakashi walked over.

"What's here?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow and getting some water out of a refridgerator.

I smiled. "It's nothing..."

"Well, after you're finished, maybe we could walk on the boardwalk or something...There are some shops and resturants down the streets, we can go to some if you'd like. Or if you don't want to, we can sit in here and order room service all day." he said, smiling. I rolled my eyes at his humor.

"I'd love to go down the boardwalk with you, Kakashi." I said, smirking.

"Why thank you. I'm flattered." he smirked back. We both laughed as I grabbed my wallet and left the hotel to go walk down the boardwalk. The streets had what seemed like an infinite amounts of different game booths, resturants, and shops decorated along the oceanside. The air was a lot fresher than Konoha's, seeing as the Hidden Mist Village was surounded by water, obviously. The water was a deep blue as I saw some kids running along the beach, hitting the sand.

"It's beautiful here, isn't it?" I said softly. He took my hand and looked around.

"Yeah, it is beautiful." he said, smiling through his mask. I looked around at all the different shops when Kakashi stopped.

"Are you hungry, or do you want to do something?" he asked, pointing to a resturant.

"Not yet. Maybe after the walking I'll be hungrier."

"Alright. Well...there are some game booths setup...so...maybe if you'd like we could--"

"Kashi, if you want to go play a game, you don't have to use me as an excuse. If you want to play a game, go play a game and I'll come with you, watching you lose." I interrupted, smiling at his childish antics. He smiled, his eye inverted into an upside-down 'u' and ran off with me toward a random booth. It was some kind of game with darts or something. I smiled again, elbowing Kakashi in the side.

"Well, well. Newlyweds, I suppose?" The man at the booth asked. I cocked an eyebrow.

"Yeah, how'd you know?" I asked.

"Eh, when you're as old as I am honey, it's like an extra sense." he said, smiling. "If you get three for three in the bullseye, you'll win a prize!" the man said toward Kakashi, who was looking at the darts. I laughed, he looked so funny..

"Heh, I have a feeling I'll win." Kakashi said, then threw a dart, landing in the bullseye. He threw two more, sure enough, ending up in the same place. The man smiled and handed him a big teddy bear and a box wrapped in foil.

"There's a special present in there for you. Enjoy your honeymoon!" the man said cheerily as Kakashi and I walked away to another booth.

"What's in there?" Kakashi asked, taking my hand.

I smiled as I opened the box. "Hehe...You'll find out when we get back to the hotel." I said, my grinning growing larger. He cocked an eyebrow.

"Why not?" he asked, smilng under his mask.

"Because I said so. That's why!" I yelled, running toward a resturant, Kakashi following in toe. He was slowed down because of the stuffed animal he had won, which made me laugh. I sat down and sank into the corner of a booth, hoping he wouldn't find me.

"You know, it's kind of hard to run after your wife with a gigantic stuffed animal in your arms. I never knew plushies could weigh this much.." Kakashi said, smiling as he sat down beside me. My heart almost came to a stop when he said the word 'wife'. I never knew, never realized, until now, how much meaning that one little word could have. I looked up when I felt heat coming up to my cheeks.

"Oh," I said, shaking my head to get rid of the nervousness. "Sorry." I said, shrugging. He laughed as the waitress came over and took our orders and walked away to the kitchen. I looked around at the pictures and lanterns around the room, as well as the people walking in. My thoughts wre interrupted when Kakashi took my hand and squeezed it, snapping me back into reality.

"Something wrong?" he asked. I shook my head and smiled.

"No...Place brings back memories, that's all..I'm sorry, it's probably because where I haven't--" I was interrupted by Kakashi.

"It's alright. I'd probably do the same thing if I came here with my parents. I'm glad you're having fun though." he said upon arrival of our food. I gave Kakashi a glare, considering he always wolfed his food down because he didn't want anyone to see his face.

"Eat your food, and actually chew it this time. It's better for your digestive system." I said, smiling, breaking my chopsticks. He gave a sheepish smile and broke his as well.

"Okay, okay.." he mumbled as he started to eat.

Time passed as we paid for our meals and left, the village already seeming to get darker. Kakashi picked me up and carried me to the inn and laid me down on the bed, him following suit. He laughed when I instinctively snuggled into the covers between him and the bed.

"Goodnight, Kara Hatake." he said softly. I smiled, my herat almost coming to a stop yet again.

"Goodnight, Kashi."


	15. Chapter 15: Knowing It's Real

A/N: This chapter is SERIOUSLY off-topic and...weird...  
BUT I LOVE IT! :D  
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.  
Listening To: You Got Me by One Block Radius.  
Side Note: Chapter is kind of short, but HEY! I'M BACK, KIDS!

* * *

Chapter Fifteen: Knowing It's Real

_--Two Weeks Later..--_

"Room Service!" the lady screamed into the room as she non-politely opened the door and let herself in.

Seriously, people around here need to learn some manners.

Luckily, Kakashi was up before I was, and _politely_ told her to leave and come at another time.

"Some people need to learn how to knock," I mumbled, throwing a pillow at the door. Kakashi laughed and threw it back at me.

"I see you're up, your highness." he laughed and tackled me on the bed. I groaned again and glanced at the clock.

"It's seven-thirty..." I mumbled.

Kakashi laughed again. "Do you have a problem with it being seven-thirty?"

"Yes, I do." I added, stretching my arms.

"Go move the world then." he said, tackling me again. After a few good minutes of tackling and successfully throwing all the covers off the bed and into the floor, I got up to go to the bathroom.

"What do you want to do today?" I called from the bathroom, changing into a different outfit.

"It doesn't matter to me, I'm just hungry." he said quickly. I could hear him pacing around the room, as if searching for food like a bear in hibernation.

"I'll be out in a minute to fix something," I called before knocking over everything that seemed to be on a shelf. I winced. Today just wasn't my day at all. After picking up the things and fixing everything I wanted to do, I realized that there wasn't a kitchen in a hotel room.

"You could have said something." I said, placing my hands on my hips as I stared Kakashi down, who was reading his book.

"About what?" he questioned, placing his book aside and leaning over, as if intrigued.

"That there wasn't a kitchen in a hotel room...I'm so used to fixing breakfast at home, I said that I would fix it in a hotel room. Kind of weird, if you ask me." I said, going over to get my wallet. Evidently, we would have to eat out.

"Hm." he said simply. I cocked an eyebrow. Something wasn't right about Kakashi. I just couldn't figure out what it was.

* * *

_--A Restaurant..--_

"Are you okay?" I asked, finally fed up with Kakashi's weird-like behaviour. He looked up from his plate and cocked an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

"You've been acting weird since this morning. Are you okay?" I repeated.

He paused before taking out a piece of folded up paper.

"Don't read it now, you can read it when I tell you to. Wait until later on tonight, it's...special." he said, his visible eye turning upside-down, as if smiling.

"Special." I echoed, cocking an eyebrow, because apparently I had no idea what he was talking about.

"Yes, special. Now, eat up." he said upon arrival of our breakfast. A few minutes passed as we both finished our meals for breakfast. We decided that we wanted to go out and have a look on the pier, since it was early and the sun was rising.

As we walked down to the pier, I studied on the note Kakashi had given me earlier. It wasn't like Kakashi to write me notes, he would always tell me up front or just tell me some other way. Sidetracked, I had a confused look on my face, which did not go unnoticed by Kakashi himself.

"...okay? You seemed confused." I heard him finish his sentence. I shook my head from disorientation, exhaling a inheld breath I didn't even know I held in. It was bothering me, the note. I started to think the worst case scenario.

"Yeah, I'm...fine." I said, leaning up and over the rails of the pier, staring out into the ocean. I felt strong hands on my shoulders, spinning me around and directly into Kakashi himself. I winced as his grip was loose, but firm enough to keep me in place.

Ninjas. Why did we both have to be ninjas and have abnormally-strong upper arm strength?

"Don't lie to me." he stated firmly, which made me shiver because I could have sworn he was going to punch me or something.

"I'm not lying." I stated just as firmly.

He moved closer.

"There's something on your mind," It wasn't a question.

I couldn't tell Kakashi.

"Is it over?" I asked, almost on the verge of tears.

_So much for not telling him._

He cocked an eyebrow, and I could have sworn he smirked at me. His grip became loose.

"Over?" He questioned.

"The marriage...The note..it's..." I couldn't finish my sentence. Tears had overcame me.

"Yeah, because I'm _totally_ going to end our marriage on our honeymoon _of the marriage_." he said, smiling. "Kara, if it's bothering you that much, just open it up."

"But you said not to open it until you told me to, later on tonight."

"I'm telling you _now_."

I furrowed my eyebrows and reached for the piece of paper in my back pocket, opening it cautiously. When I read over it, I wanted to kill myself right then and there for thinking something stupid as I did.

"Are you...you want...to..." I trailed off, reading over the piece of paper. It was an appointment for the adoption shelter in Konoha.

_Kakashi wanted a kid._

"Yes." he said simply.

My eyes widened.

It was right then and there, that I knew this was real.


End file.
